Liars And Killers
by Lena Liz Carter
Summary: A story of a journey. From Dreykov's daughter to Budapest. From Hawkeye and Black Widow to Clint and Natasha. Not romance yet, but a sequel is planned. Movie-verse.
1. Prologue

„Are you kidding?"

Clint Barton held up the portrait of his next target. It was a pretty young girl with brown hair and intense blue eyes. Agent Fury just shook his head.

„_This _is the Black Widow?" Clint waved the photograph. „How old is she, fifteen?"

„Nineteen," said agent Fury without a hint of unease. Clint wondered how he did that.

It was not like Clint hadn't killed young people before. Some of them were even innocent bystanders caught in crossfire. But this... if this was really the famous spy, she had to be a piece of artwork. Made by twisted, cruel and evil art, surely, but still extraordinary. This girl, who should be somewhere in high school gossiping about the head cheerleader, had a body count higher than some of the seasoned SHIELD agents he knew. Twenty bodies and twice as much successful spy missions.

„How...?" He let the rest of the question hanging in the air. What did he want to know? How is it possible? How to kill her?

„She got in wrong hands when she was very young." That was all Fury said.

Clint looked at her face again. There was only six years difference between them and he too had a body count at her age, although not nearly this high. Still, this was going to feel like murdering a child.

He had to remind himself of the things he heard about her. He saw the footage from one of her kills, a member of Kiev underworld. It was a poison, strangely apt weapon, considering her codename. The victim died in horrible pain and it wasn't quick either. It looked like she chose the most cruel way to do her job. Nineteen or not, a person like this was not a child and about as far from innocent as you can get.

Clint flipped through the file in front of him and found a plane ticket. He was supposed to fly to Saint Petersburg in two days. That meant that the Black Widow had a week or two to live.

„Can you do it?" asked Fury. Clint wasn't sure if it wasn't just his imagination, but he heard a slight doubt in his voice.

He gave him his hardened assassin look. „Of course I can."

„Good, because if you screw up one more time..."

Clint was on his feet before he realized he was moving. He immediately regretted it, but didn't sit down. „Marty wasn't my fault," he growled, not believing his own words. Still, he had to defend himself.

„Letting the enemy obtain a valuable piece of information was," Fury retorted. „I saved your job for you, so don't open your mouth on me like that. Because I can pull out Johannesburg any time and have you fired on the spot. So shut up and kill her," he pointed to the file.

„Fine!" Clint slammed the file shut and stormed to the door. He was on his way out, when one more thing came to his mind. He turned to Fury. „Does she have a name? You always talk about the Widow but she must be called something else, right?"

Fury smirked. „If you need to know... it's Romanoff. Natasha Romanoff."


	2. Chapter 1: Artwork

**Chapter 1: Artwork**

The Widow was walking down the street, not knowing about Clint watching her. It was well after dark, her humble flat wasn't in the safest part of Saint Petersburg and she was getting back from a party, wearing only a tight black dress and stilettos. But _she _had nothing to be afraid of. There wasn't a thug in the world that would pose a threat for the Black Widow.

Unfortunately the thugs didn't know this.

There were two of them, first only calling names, then stopping her. Clint moved in his position on the roof to get a better view. There was coming something he wouldn't miss for the world. Not just for the fun of watching two huge, muscled, tattooed and bearded men beaten up by a teenage girl, but he wanted to see her fight. Nothing told you more about your enemy than his fighting techniques.

And he was right. When they made their intentions clear, she attacked without a warning. It was like watching ballet. She moved gracefully and fast and she was absolutely deadly. She could use anything as a weapon, starting with her handbag and ending with her enemies. The fight was over in less than two minutes and she left two corpses behind as she walked away. _It wasn't even necessary to kill them, _he thought. But of course they could have been hired assassins and she couldn't afford to take any chances. Kill or be killed, Clint knew this rule too well. Still, something about the calm with which she took two human lives was a little unsettling.She didn't even look back or walk faster.

So maybe the body count of twenty wasn't even accurate.

But as Clint returned to his hotel, he realized that she wasn't so different from himself. He too would kill mercilessly if attacked. They were not judges, they were executioners. They didn't decide who to kill, they just took orders. He was even worse, she at least chose what orders she wanted to take. Not that she cared, according to her file. But at least she had the choice he gave up.

When he arrived at his hotel room, he found a message from Fury. His handler wanted to know when was he going to kill the Widow. This was the hardest part, deciding on the date. Until that it felt like he didn't have to do it, like there was still hope, but after he set the date the hope died. Because even though he didn't enjoy it, he always finished the mission.

_Tomorrow _was his answer. He had to do it now or else he'd start to root for this girl. That was his weak spot, when his victim was very good at something, he felt like he was wasting an artwork. And killing the Black Widow was going to feel like ripping a Van Gogh apart at least.

Next morning he was sitting in the hotel restaurant, pretending to read newspaper and thinking about her, when someone joined him at the table. He looked up and immediately cursed himself for letting his guard down. The Black Widow was smiling at him. She was wearing a white cotton tank top, jeans and sandals. Her hair were in two pigtails and she was wearing next to no makeup. It was hard to believe she was the same person as the deadly sexy assassin from last night.

„Good morning, Hawkeye," she said. „That's what they call you, right?"

„Good morning, Natasha," he chose to call her by her first name. It looked like he knew more about her than she did about him. „So you did notice me after all."

„Not me. I have people watching my back," she shrugged.

„Really? I was under the impression the Black Widow works alone."

„Impressions are not reliable. Are you here to kill me?" The bluntness of her question was another thing that felt like looking in the mirror.

„Yes."

She bowed her head and for a moment he thought she had accepted her fate. But then again, this was the Black Widow and she wouldn't be still alive if she gave up that easily. He remained silent and waited for her next move.

„Do you want to do it here or are we going to move somewhere private?" she asked quietly.

So, seduction it was. Did she really think he was that stupid?

„So you're okay with that?" he said casually.

She smiled so sadly it would break his heart, if he hadn't known it was all a carefully planned act. „Not really. But I've heard about you. Maybe you wouldn't do it today or tomorrow, but sooner or later you'd get me. And I hate waiting."

That was definitely true. She did hate waiting and that's why she came. But not to die.

„That's good. I might even get the rest of the week off," he said, rising from his chair. He caught her hand and pressed a knife to her side. She didn't try to stop him, although he was sure she saw about a hundred opportunities. At least all those he intentionally gave her to see her reaction.

„Let's go upstairs," he suggested.

He took her to his favorite place – the roof. There he let her go and pulled out his gun. He was sorry he didn't have his bow, but there was no time to pick it up from his room. The Black Widow stood there and he realized how girlish she looks. She looked at her feet and when she rose her head, she looked to be on the verge of tears.

„Just do it. You had no idea what they made me do," she whispered and made a step forward. She was so close she could grab his gun if she wanted to. Clint made a step backwards. „Please, kill me," she continued, moving forward, making him recede further. „End it, please."

He realized he was pushed to the edge of the roof one second too early. She lunged at him to throw him over the edge at the same time he fired. It saved her life and for the first time in a long time Clint missed. The bullet grazed her shoulder but she barely noticed it. Her weight wasn't enough to knock him down without her going down with him, but she at least managed to knock the gun out of his hand.

He caught her and tried to lead the fight away from the edge, but she didn't intend to let him. She kicked his knee at the same time he tripped her and they both fell on the roof in one ball of fists, legs and death.

She was good. Surprisingly strong for her age and stature, quick as hell and just as experienced as he was. He had to admit that she was giving him more trouble than he expected. Still, she made one basic mistake – she let him catch her. If he had to chase her around, he would have hard time getting her, especially without his bow.

Finally he got a chance to make his move, using another mistake she made – pigtails. One of them simply flew into his hand as she twisted to bite him. He caught it and pulled backwards. She hissed in pain. He rolled her over and managed to pin her to the ground. Still holding her hair, he smashed her head against the concrete. It was amazing that she didn't pass out at once but actually tried to fight him for a moment before she went limp.

He stood up panting and saw that his forearm was bleeding from a bite she gave him.

„Bitch," he muttered and picked up the gun.

It was supposed to be easy. She wouldn't dodge nor defend herself. She wouldn't even feel it. He had his orders, he could almost hear Fury urging him on. He really should do something to make up for Johannesburg. So why was he so tempted to screw up one more time?

Suddenly, as he looked at the unconscious girl, he had an idea.

This time Clint Barton chose his own orders.

He took off his belt and tied her hands, just in case. His room was on the top floor and he had packed all his stuff in the morning. He took everything up to the roof and called Fury to pick him up. The girl was already stirring, trying feebly to free her hands. Clint rummaged in his bag and pulled out handcuffs and a dark gray case. She was cuffed before she knew what was going on and then Clint opened the case and pulled out a syringe. He wasn't very experienced with this kind of thing but he had gone through the basic medical training and this wasn't that difficult. The shot he gave her sent her to sleep in a minute. Just in time, as she passed out again couple of seconds before a Quintjet appeared out of the blue.

There wasn't enough room on the roof for landing, but Clint was ready. He put on a wide belt with a couple of snap-hooks and fastened a similar belt around the Widow's waist. He buckled her to himself and when a rope lowered from the plane, he let it pull both of them up.

When he scrambled inside the jet with an unconscious assassin on his belt, a young female agent inside actually gave a small shriek.

„Shut up, Hill," said Fury. „Barton, you better have a damn good reason for this. Who is that?"

Clint unbuckled them both and smirked. The girl was lying face down and pigtails really weren't her trademark. It was understandable that Fury didn't recognize her. After all he presumed she was dead.

„That?" Clint glanced at her like there were more strange young women around. „That's the Black Widow."

He had never, in their two years of cooperation, seen Fury speechless. The woman he called Hill ran to the Widow and turned her face up to see if he wasn't joking. Fury was just staring at Clint, who was really glad that looks can't kill, otherwise he would already be burning in the ninth ring of Hell.

„She's sedated," Clint added. „You can question her and get some interesting stuff from her. You can try to make her join us, which I would highly recommend, she's good. Or kill her yourself. I'm not doing it."

„I told you not to screw up," growled Fury, his eyes narrowed... well, furiously.

„I didn't. If I did, you'd be picking me up from the morgue. Agent Hill, was it?" he turned to the woman. „Can you pass me the first aid kit please?"

„You're hurt?" asked Hill.

„Not really. Just a spider's bite," he took the kit from her and started to bandage his bitten forearm.

„You didn't have the right to do this," Fury said.

Clint looked him in the eyes and hoped his next sentence won't get him murdered on the spot. „If I can't choose whether or not I will take a human life, you can make a robot to take my place."

„That's not a bad idea. And I already have a practice target for him." Fury still looked like he was going to explode.

„Just give her a chance. You should have seen her fight," Clint smiled. There was a solid chance he will lose his job and either spend the rest of his life behind a desk in an office or as an outlaw on the run from SHIELD's assassins, but he still felt good about saving the girl's life. „It's like watching an artist," he added.

Fury stared at him in sheer disbelief. „Are you kidding?"


	3. Chapter 2: Bargain

**Chapter 2: Bargain**

Natasha knew she was screwed from the moment she came to her senses. She felt dizzy, slightly nauseated and had a terrible headache. Not a very good sign, especially when your last memory isn't getting drunk but fighting a person sent to kill you.

Oh yes, and she was tied to a hospital bed.

The only good think was that the nausea and dizziness were wearing off pretty quickly. It looked like they gave her something.

„Good morning, Miss Romanoff," said someone and she saw a tall black man standing at her bedside. She recognized him as agent Fury and the man behind him was, of course, Hawkeye.

She tested her restraints, just to make sure she was right and didn't have a way out. Right, so what was next, interrogation? Torture?

„We have an offer for you," said Fury and it looked like it was physically painful for him to get these words out. „You tell us everything you know about Russian underworld and any other underworld you know something about. And, if you prove yourself to be an asset, you can work for SHIELD later. We were told," he shot an angry look to Hawkeye, „that you are an exceptional fighter."

She swallowed a juicy Russian curse and gave Fury her most winning smile. „But that's awfully kind of you, agent Fury. What do I get?"

„You get to live, for the start. And if you work for us, you get to be treated just like every other agent. I don't want to hear your answer now. Think about it, sleep on it, you have one day. You'll tell me you decision tomorrow."

With that Fury left. Hawkeye lingered for a moment longer. The jeans and shirt he was wearing in Petersburg were gone and he was wearing a sleeveless black uniform. She noticed he had a bandaged forearm and suppressed a smug smirk. But just then she realized he defeated her and brought her here, destroying all her reputation in one fight. She felt the anger flare up inside her.

„I'm not going to sleep with you, if that's why you spared me," she hissed.

For a moment it looked like she hit a nerve, but he regained his poker face so fast that she wasn't sure if it wasn't some form of hallucination.

„Do you really think I have to hit a woman over the head when I want one?" he asked and smiled like she was nothing more than a petulant child. „Choose well, Natasha. I'm not going to stick out my neck for you again," he added before he left her.

Did he really stick out his neck for her? Was it _his _choice to bring her here? Was he really that stupid? He didn't _believe _her little act, did he? No, she saw it in his eyes, he never fell for it. He knocked her out, she was at his mercy and that was not his dominant character trait. So why was she still breathing?

Even though the Hawkeye mystery bugged her, she turned her attention to a more pressing matter – Fury's deal.

To share everything she knows wasn't really the issue. She was freelance for some time now and although she had been discreet until now, she wasn't going to die to keep someone's secrets. She had never been loyal to anyone but herself and didn't care who called the shots. Still, she could use SHIELD's protection. She knew quite a lot and some people were going to be pissed off.

Natasha was a survivor. And working for one of the most powerful, best equipped and biggest players on the field seemed like a good move.

No, she didn't want to die over some stupid pride. She wanted to milk the cow for all it was worth. For a year now she had one personal mission she wasn't able to accomplish.

She would agree to Fury's terms, but wanted to add one more thing to the list.

The next morning Fury and Hawkeye came again, as promised. She awaited them without the restraints, but with two very strict female soldiers behind her. Hawkeye swept the room with one look and smiled. He too saw that Natasha could take both of her guards down in a matter of seconds.

„I accept," she said before Fury could open his mouth, „but I have one condition."

„Miss Romanoff, you really aren't in a position for bargain..."

„You're going to like it," she waved her hand. „It's about one man, Konstantin Dreykov. He's training and selling assassins. And whores. And drugs and weapons and basically anything illegal you can think of. I think he's selling some legal things too, but I guess that doesn't peak your interest. He took me when I was a child and turned me in the Black Widow. I want him dead and I want to do it myself."

„We will take care of him," Fury promised. „I can't promise you a place on that mission, but I'll try."

„Fine, at least take a picture for me," she told Hawkeye. They were surely going to send him.

„So, do we have a deal?" asked Fury impatiently.

Natasha looked him in the eyes. „We do."

„Good. Barton, take her to agent Kirk. And you," he pointed his finger between Natasha's eyes, „one step out of line, one bad move and I swear I'll finish what Barton couldn't."

_So it _was_ Hawkeye who decided to save me. I guess that means that I owe him my life. _It was a brand new feeling. She had never had a debt like this before. It was strangely annoying.

Fury disappeared and he took her guards with him. He probably assumed Hawkeye can handle her.

„So," he said, „as you are not trying to kill me..."

„And vice versa," she added.

„...I'll show you around the base."

„You are supposed to take me to agent... whatever," she reminded him.

He shrugged. „But I have no idea where he is. We'll have to look for him."

She followed him out and just now she realized that SHIELD is different from any organization she has ever worked for. Just the number of people around, agents, maintenance, soldiers... She suddenly felt like a country girl in a big city.

Hawkeye gave her a basic tour which included mess hall, gym, practice range and living quarters, but she noticed he kept her from anything of strategical value. He didn't talk much and even though he said hello to every other person in the halls, he never stopped for a chat. It was not because he wanted to be polite and pay attention to his guest. Natasha was good at reading body language and could tell that people respected Hawkeye, but he didn't have friends here. He was a loner, just like her.

They found agent Kirk at the debriefing rooms. It was a tall man in early forties with ponytail of light brown hair and kind green eyes. When he walked, Natasha noticed a slight limp. Agent Kirk gave Hawkeye a wide smile.

„Clint! It's been ages!" he exclaimed.

„Hello, Abe. How are you doing?" Hawkeye smiled back.

„I got married," agent Kirk rose his left hand with a simple golden ring.

„Wow... congratulations," Hawkeye stuttered. „It's really been ages. Who's the lucky girl?"

„An agent from research. I was assigned to protect her and it got a little out of hand," Kirk shrugged and turned to Natasha. „So, you're the girl everyone is making that fuss about? You don't look like much, but of course, that can be deceiving."

Natasha almost gasped. For the past couple of years she got used to people being impressed by her, lusting for her, fearing her, hating her, but never telling her she doesn't look like much. She heard Hawkeye chuckle.

„She won't disappoint you," Hawkeye told Kirk. „You're supposed to question her?"

„That's the plan. And if she becomes an agent, I'll be her handler. And speaking of handlers, did you know that Fury's getting promotion for her? Apparently the director thinks that bringing the Black Widow in alive was his idea and that it was brilliant. They say once director Pellson retires, Fury will take his place."

„Oh, that's bad," said Hawkeye with a fake distress. „Because it means I've just pissed off our next director." He jerked his head in Natasha's direction.

Well, maybe she was wrong about him not having friends.

„And what's that?" Kirk pointed to Hawkeye's forearm. He took off the bandages, but the two red crescents were pretty self-explanatory. And it looked like the bite was inflamed.

„I was helping with dental records."

At this point Natasha couldn't keep quiet. „Yeah, I was there. He'd make a wonderful dentist. His way with anesthetics..."

„Hey, I don't see you complaining. By the way, are you sure you are not venomous?"

„Stop being a baby, Clint," Kirk interrupted them. „I've seen you take a bullet in your chest, you can handle one bite. Miss Romanoff, shall we?" he gestured Natasha to the debriefing.

Natasha went past Kirk to a small room with just a table and two chairs, all bolted to the floor. But she heard Kirk turn to Hawkeye.

„They've told me about Marty. I am sorry, Clint," he said.

„Thanks, Abe, but Fury was right. It _was _my fault."

Natasha turned around just in time to see Hawkeye leaving. Even from behind she saw that he missed his usual energy.

She was definitely wrong about him not having friends.


	4. Chapter 3 Indebted

_All reviews are more than welcome._

**Chapter 3: Indebted**

It had been three weeks since he pulled the Black Widow out and Clint was still stuck at the base without an assignment. Officially it was because Fury was promoted and they didn't have a new handler for him, but Clint suspected that it had something to do with the girl. Or maybe Johannesburg.

He sat on the roof and watched the base in the middle of nowhere. From up here it felt like they couldn't control him. Up here he was free.

Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Natasha.

„I didn't know you were here," she said apologetically and for once she was sincere.

„Aren't you supposed to spend all the time in your room or with Abe?" he rose his eyebrows.

„That's boring," she waved her hand. „Anyway, I'll find another place."

She turned to leave, but turned around after a few steps. „Who's Marty?" she asked.

For a moment Clint didn't say a word. His brain was slowly working through her simple question like she asked him about quantum physics. _Marty_. From everything she could, from all of his missions, she asked about Marty.

„He was a friend," he said in the end.

„Was?"

Damn, why did she need to know this?

„He's dead. That happens in our line of work," he snapped.

„And why was that your fault?" she continued.

He got up and it took all his self-control not to hit her. „Who told you that?"

„You did." She didn't pull back, she didn't even wince. „Well, not me, but you told Kirk. I'm just curious."

Yes, he remembered Abe bringing it up when he took Natasha to him. And the Johannesburg disaster was that top secret thing everybody knows about. „Marty Sacharowski was working on a research for SHIELD. I was assigned to protect him or, if he would fall in the enemy hands, kill him before he could tell them his secrets. When they kidnapped him I had a clear shot, but I didn't do it. I thought I could save him. When I finally got to him, it was too late. I blew up my cover for all South Africa and let the enemy get his hands on some of SHIELD's most important secrets for nothing. Only thing I got out was Marty's body – or what was left of it."

He had no idea why he told her all that. She'd find out from the files once she got her security clearance. But he needed to get it out and it didn't really matter who was listening. What surprised him was that Natasha looked surprised.

„Did you just... Did you just confide in me?" she asked.

„It wasn't that confidential. Everybody knows," he shrugged.

„It doesn't mean we are _friends_, does it?" She said it like it was some nasty disease.

„I tried to kill, you tried to kill me right back, I spared you, you defected to my side, I just told you my biggest regret," he recited. „I don't think we qualify as _friends_."

„Good," she looked relieved.

Did it really scare her so much that someone would consider her a friend? That someone would share his secrets with her without any form of manipulation involved? He was tempted to test it.

He sat back at the spot where she found him and waved her to come closer. „Come here and sit. You can tell me something about yourself."

„There's nothing to tell," she shrugged, but took a seat. „But I want to ask you something. Why save me? Why did you risk your job to save _me_?"

Clint didn't know. Maybe it was because he realized that he's just as heartless and soulless as her and by giving her a second chance he redeemed himself a little bit. Maybe he was just losing his touch. Maybe he did fall for her Innocent Girl act.

„I liked your pigtails," he said.

She hesitated like she wasn't sure if he was serious. It made him smile. She really was bad at honest conversations.

His communicator effectively spoiled the moment.

„Agent Barton, do you copy?" Agent Hill sounded a little nervous. Clint tensed.

„I copy. What is it?"

„We've lost the Black Widow. We need you to..."

„You haven't lost anybody," he interrupted her. „She's about two feet from me and not running anywhere. I'll escort her to her room," he assured Hill. „Party's over and get ready to be yelled at. One of the worse parts of working for SHIELD," he told Natasha with a smirk. He knew Hill could hear him.

XXX

There was only one thing Natasha really hated about working for SHIELD.

Abe was really nice to her and she liked working with him. He was very capable and very clever. He could read body language as well as she could, so her debriefing became a small competition between the two of them. Sometimes she deliberately withheld a piece of information just to see if he'd know. In four tries out of five he gave her his signature look _Natasha, you're hiding something_ and she spilled the beans. The fifth time she told him anyway, as a reward for making the interrogation interesting for her. No, she didn't mind working with Abe Kirk.

She wasn't allowed to go anywhere without Abe or some other agent. She was supposed to stay in her room most of the time, but she could sneak out any time she wanted. The little winter garden was her favorite place, or the roof, although that one she avoided after meeting Hawkeye there. The food tasted fine, her room was comfortable and clean, and people were polite. The environment was not the problem.

It was the fact that somewhere in the facility was a man who spared her life.

Natasha hated the feeling of owing Hawkeye. She spent most of her free time thinking of ways to pay him back, but they all sounded ridiculous, even in her head. The debt made her feel more trapped than the walls of her room. She wanted to save his life too, she wanted him to admit that he did it all on Fury's orders, she even wanted to wake up in Saint Petersburg as a freelance assassin with more assassins on her trail. Anything but this terrible feeling of being _tied _to someone.

She was going to return the favor as soon as possible.

When Abe told her, after two months at the base, that Hawkeye was about to be shipped off to Indonesia in a few days, she almost panicked. What if he was killed there? The feeling would never go away, then. Her debt would haunt her for the rest of her life and she really didn't need another personal ghost. She decided to give him at least a reason to come back – an advance.

He was packing when she sneaked in his room in the evening. Still, he almost shot her before he recognized her.

„What are you doing here?" he asked angrily, lowering his bow.

„I came to wish you good luck," she replied and moved closer.

There was a moment of silence. He didn't understand. He looked at her and he didn't have a clue how very few people were offered this. And that even fewer lived to tell the tale.

„You are the first man who defeated me," she whispered and laid her hand on his chest.

He almost jumped backwards like she bit him again. His expression was one she had never seen associated with herself – disgust.

„Really? Don't you have any self respect? At all?"

Was this what humiliation felt like? Natasha was furious. Nobody humiliated the Black Widow. Her anger got the best of her and for a moment she was considering the various ways to hurt him. Unfortunately Hawkeye understood her better than she thought and had an arrow pointed at her head before she could make a move.

„Leave," he snarled. „Now. Don't try that again."

And she did.

She went to the winter garden, sat on a bench and pulled her legs up. It was the most hidden corner where they wouldn't find her for hours. It felt like that small closet in Odesa where she used to hide as a child. But they always found her there and they beat her up.

Memories were poison, she had know that for a long time. Sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, but they'd kill you if you dwell in them for too long. The memory of Hawkeye rejecting her was one of the most bitter ones. He was the first man who openly, truly despised her and she hated him for it with every part of her heart.

„Natasha?"

Of course, it _would _take them hours to find her, if they hadn't a person who knew all about her love for this place..

Abe Kirk sat next to her and she realized she wasn't just angry. She was sad, something she hadn't been for a while.

„How do I look?" she asked before she could stop herself. She was surprised how desperate it sounded. A little girl pleading for reassurance.

„Sexy as hell and deadly as a wet floor," Abe answered.

„How is wet floor deadly?" Natasha frowned.

„Have you ever tried not slipping on it?"

Natasha had to laugh. Another rare thing for her. „You really think I'm sexy?"

„I'm married, I'm not allowed to judge that," he winked at her. „Janet may not be a top class assassin, but she can still poison me."

She looked at him and even in the dim light saw that he was telling the truth. He did think she was attractive, but loved his wife too much to consider Natasha as anything more than a colleague.

„How do you repay a life debt?" she asked after a moment of silence.

Abe's eyes widened as he realized what her two questions meant. „You didn't..." he began but stopped soon enough. „I... I have only one debt like this," he admitted in the end.

„What did you do?"

„I married her."

Natasha thought of the disgust on Hawkeye's face. „Well, that doesn't seem like an option for me."

XXX

It was a small bar in Jakarta where the soldiers and agents from a nearby SHIELD base went in their free time. Clint was halfway through his fifth beer and wondered how many more it will take to get rid of the image of Natasha in his room.

She tried to seduce him. And he almost shot her. Was something wrong with him? If the girl really had some stupid teenage crush on him, he broke her heart. But then again, this was the Black Widow and she probably didn't even know what a crush is. Still there was no reason to act like she was a demon trying to steal his virtue.

He knocked back the rest of his beer and ordered a tequila. As he drank it, a female SHIELD agent sat on the stool next to him. She was only one or two years older than him and they used to work together. Those long blonde hair and face of a porcelain doll were unmistakeable.

„Hi, Clint," she said with a smile and ordered a vodka.

„Hello, Hannah. How are you doing?"

„Same old," she waved her hand. She wasn't drunk, perhaps a little tipsy. Just like Clint. „How about you? I've heard about Marty..."

„Don't say you're sorry," he stopped her. „I'm sick of hearing that."

„In that case," she rose her glass to him, „maybe we can pick up where we left off in Denver."

The simple sentence took him one year back to a beautiful week of an undercover mission. They acted as a weapon dealer and his mistress and they were a little bit more in character than required. Unfortunately Fury found out and pulled Hannah out, but it was still the only undercover mission Clint had ever enjoyed.

„That's not a bad idea."

When he woke up in his room, Hannah wasn't there, but his communicator was showing two messages. The first one was from Colonel Goldstein, the commander of the base.

„_Nine o'clock sharp, my office. Don't be late. No need to suit up."_

Well, the Colonel wasn't known for being talkative. It looked like Clint was about to get some work, which was exactly what he needed. It wasn't like the night with Hannah wasn't good, but it wasn't enough to help him forget everything that happened since he saw Marty being dragged away.

The second message was from Hannah.

„_I've got a message from the Colonel and I had to go. Didn't want to wake you up. Sorry, see you later."_

He looked at the clock. It was 8:50. Clint quickly dressed and left, but he still arrived a couple of minutes late. He was surprised to find Fury and Hannah there with one more man he didn't know. The Colonel wasn't there.

„Nice of you to show up," Fury said. „You know agent Mackay and I wanted to introduce you to agent Thomas Serrano. Agent Serrano, this is agent Clint Barton."

Agent Serrano was taller than Clint and the kind of a man you imagine in a Calvin Klein commercial – dark haired with black eyes and athletic figure. Clint had never trusted those kind of people, but admitted that there was a little bit of jealousy involved. He just nodded at him and turned to Fury.

„You have a mission for me, sir?"

„For all of you," he said and passed Clint a photograph of a young woman. „Irina Dreykova, daughter of Konstantin Dreykov. Sixteen years old. Body count nine people, as far as we know. We want to provoke Dreykov to make a move, so we figured that finishing his little girl off would do the trick."

Why were they so keen on sending him after kids? How old was his next target going to be, five? He wanted this mission even less than he wanted the last one.

„Where is she?" he asked.

„In Bombay. We know about an appointment she has in a couple of days and you can prepare your ground. Mackay. Serrano, you are going to do the job, Barton, you're going to cover them from above."

Great, so he got the babysitting job. Was he really that useless?

„And you are _not _allowed to bring her back alive," Fury added with a pointed look at Clint.

„There's no need for a ground team," said Clint. „I can do this alone."

Fury smirked. „I used to think so."


	5. Chapter 4: Traitor

_So, finally you get to see some action. All reviews are more than welcome._

**Chapter 4: Traitor**

„Stay sharp, Hawk," said Tom Serrano in his usual cocky way. „If the sixteen-year-old gives us trouble, you have to do the job."

„You stay sharp. You never know what a teenage girl can do," Clint warned him. He didn't like him, but he had cooperated with unpleasant people before.

„Well, you'd know," Serrano grinned.

„Boys, time to go," Hannah called. Serrano was new in the SHIELD and Clint was in disgrace, so she was in charge.

Clint picked up the bag that contained his bow and quiver and with a last death glare for Serrano moved to his place at a hospital roof. Serrano and Hannah mixed with the crowd in the square below.

Irina Dreykova appeared ten minutes later. She was wearing a long turquoise-colored dress and her strawberry blonde hair were braided in two pigtails. Clint had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Really, pigtails again? That wasn't fair.

He watched Hannah take her place. She was supposed to be so obvious that Irina would spot her right away and try to run. Straight to Serrano.

The first part of the plan worked. Clint saw Irina turning casually around and walking in the opposite direction like she remembered she was supposed to be somewhere else. He drew his bow and aimed, ready to do Serrano's job if something went wrong.

And something did go wrong, just not on the ground.

He didn't hear the shot, but he felt the bullet biting in his lower back and fell on his face. _I just hope they missed the kidney_, he thought as he hauled himself to his knees and turned around. He saw a dark figure disappearing from a window across the street. The sniper was behind him all the time, in the area they thought safe. That meant someone...

„Flamingo," he muttered Hannah's codename in the communicator. „We are compromised."

He peeked over the edge and saw Irina running towards Serrano.

„Everything is fine here," Hannah replied. „Stork is going to get her."

„No, it's not fine," Clint insisted.

Serrano stepped out of his hiding place. _No, you idiot, _Clint thought, _it's too soon. _And it was. Irina saw him, halted for a moment, turned and ran to another alley. Something didn't add up there, but Clint had already felt weak from the blood loss and pain and his brain refused to work properly.

He heard Hannah yelling at Serrano over the communicator. His knees gave up and he collapsed on the roof.

„There was a sniper," he choked out in the communicator. „I've been hit. They knew..."

Then everything went black.

XXX

Natasha was playing with the zipper on a pocket of her uniform. _Agent Romanoff_. It sounded so alien she could not get used to it. She was granted the rank of an agent just a couple of days after Hawkeye left, which meant she had been agent Romanoff for five weeks. Abe discovered one of her talents, pulled some strings and was training her as an interrogation expert.

„Who are you working for?" Abe shouted.

„I don't understand," Natasha whispered. „I am Mr. Harris' assistant. I work for Mr. Harris."

„I saw you, Natalie. Looking at my people. Sneaking in places. You think you're not suspicious because you're pretty, but it has quite the opposite effect."

„You were watching me?" she asked, sounding flattered. „You noticed me?"

„I have known about you for a long time. So who are you working for? Is it Hoffman?"

Natasha looked down and shook her head.

„And time is up!" shouted Janet Kirk, Abe's wife. Abe and Natasha crossed the room to the table where Janet sat. She handed them both a piece of paper and a pen and both of them wrote a few words before returning the paper.

„So," Janet started, „Abe was told that he got a message from his spy that there is an undercover agent from SHIELD in Mr. Harris' office. He was trying to make sure that it's Natalie Rushman. His conclusion," she looked at the paper, „is yes."

„Why?" asked Natasha.

„Playing with your zipper," said Abe. „That says nervous. If you were innocent, you wouldn't be nervous, you would be scared. Go on, sweetheart," he nodded to Janet.

„Natasha was told that there was a traitor in the SHIELD, informing on their undercover agents, but she was there to make sure. Her answer," Janet looked at Natasha's paper, „is yes. That was correct. You just compromised your man, honey."

„Oh I see," he sighed. „_I have known about you for a long time. _That was stupid."

„Looking vulnerable and impressed and flattering a man a little, always works," Natasha smiled.

„For you," Abe said. „I can't try that."

Natasha liked those little games. Janet usually made up the situation and gave them their roles. One of them was the interrogator, the other one was the prisoner. Sometimes both of them were supposed to find something out, sometimes the prisoner was only supposed to keep the secrets. They never knew what was the other one after and which seemingly innocent sentence could mean their defeat.

There was a knock at the door and Nick Fury came in. Janet and Abe exchanged a surprised glance.

„I thought you were in India," Janet said.

„I was, until this morning. Agent Kirk," he turned to Abe, „I have to take you with me. We have a situation and I need an expert of your level there."

Abe looked at Janet, then at Natasha and finally at Fury. „Can I take Natasha with me? I want her help there."

„No," said Fury without hesitation.

„Then I'm not going."

„Agent Kirk..."

„I want to do my job and if you don't let me take Natasha with me, I won't do the job as well as I can. Choose – either just me and fifty per cent effectiveness or both of us and hundred per cent," Abe folded his hands.

Fury struggled with himself for a moment and then nodded. „Take her if you must, but she's you responsibility. I want you both ready in Hangar Six in two hours. Don't be late." He looked at Natasha and shook his head. „How do you wrap every man you meet around your little finger?"

Natasha shrugged and tugged her braid. „They say it's the hair."

XXX

„I'm telling you, you're seeing things," said Hannah.

Clint frowned. He spent the last week in the hospital, lying on his side and thinking about how he got there. He was in an exceptionally bad mood and Hannah being highly skeptical to his theory didn't help.

„So the sniper was there by accident?"

„Maybe as an insurance if her meeting went wrong."

„He'd be watching her, he wouldn't see me. He was on one of the few places where he had a clear shot at me, but he didn't have a clear shot at the cafe where she was supposed to go," Clint protested.

„You don't know that, you weren't in his place," Hannah tried to calm him down.

„Exactly, because I was at the best spot there was and if he was there to cover _her_, there would still be at least thirteen better places for him. I can do the math," Clint insisted.

„If she knew we were waiting, why would she go there in first place?"

„Maybe just to make us ask this question. Maybe to get rid of me, as a revenge for snatching the Black Widow."

„You're paranoid, Clint."

„We have a traitor here, Hannah," he told her. „I'm sure. And Serrano did step out too soon."

„So you think Tom is a spy?" Hannah gasped. „He's been beating himself up over it ever since it happened. He screwed up, you of all people should understand that."

„That was low," Clint growled. „Just because he's pretty, it doesn't mean he's clean."

„Shut up, Barton," she snapped and got up. „Let me know when you're ready for action."

When she left, he took a laptop from his bedside table and turned to lie on his belly. The bullet missed all the vital organs and thanks to the special vest he was wearing it didn't go too deep, but it still hurt and he lost a lot of blood.

First he looked at the files about their mission. He found the report about Irina Dreykova's appointment and looked at the team which obtained it. They all seemed good, he even knew a couple of names. So he looked at Tom Serrano's file. He joined SHIELD a little over a year ago and worked in Section T specializing on criminal organizations with headquarters in the countries of the former USSR. He hadn't worked on anything related to Dreykov. He looked like an exemplary agent, but something about him still bugged Clint.

He found the footage of their unsuccessful mission. There were two cameras, one on the roof where Clint was, he didn't need that. The other one was close to Serrano's stand. Clint opened the file and watched Irina Dreykova arrive, spot Hannah, turn and run towards Serrano.

Serrano stepped out and Irina halted. She hesitated for a moment before she ran off. Clint replayed the bit for a few times to make absolutely sure he wasn't imagining it. Then he returned to Serrano's file and started to compare it with the history of the team that was watching Dreykov's gang.

„Crap," he said at last.

XXX

Natasha and Abe sat in a safe room in the Jakarta base and Fury was filling them in on a possibility of an information leak concerning Irina Dreykova. Natasha wasn't very happy about it and hearing that she was about to meet Hawkeye again didn't exactly cheer her up.

„He is paranoid," said Fury. „He says that someone warned the target and now he insists he has a proof."

Natasha exchanged a look with Abe. Hawkeye didn't seem like a paranoid type.

„Agent Mackay thinks he couldn't handle another failure and suffered some kind of a breakdown."

„I've known Clint for years," said Abe. „This doesn't sound like him."

„He's been wounded and he hasn't been himself since Johannesburg."

„But you don't believe this," Natasha observed. „You want to think it's just a breakdown, but you are not sure. That's why you called us."

„I didn't call _you_," Fury reminded her. „But basically you're right. I want you to investigate the possibility of a traitor. I have agents Mackay and Serrano waiting outside. Which one do you want first?"

„Send them both in," said Abe.

Neither face looked familiar to Natasha. Both agents sat down and looked at them. Abe nodded at Fury and they were left alone with Hannah Mackay and Thomas Serrano.

„What do you think about Barton's accusations?" asked Abe right away.

„He's just seeing things," said Mackay and looked at Serrano. „After Johannesburg."

„And you, agent Serrano?"

„I agree with Hannah." Serrano was looking directly at Abe, almost challenging him.

„Did you have a clear shot on Irina Dreykova?" asked Abe.

„For a few seconds, yes, but I heard that agent Barton was shot and for a moment I panicked. I screwed up." He didn't regret it, it was like he wanted Abe to yell at him so he could pick up a fight. „I am sorry," he added a little more humbly and shot a glance at Mackay.

Natasha watched the interrogation for another twenty minutes without saying a word. Mackay didn't pay her any attention, but Serrano looked at her every couple of minutes. When they finally let them go, Abe stretched and turned to Natasha.

„So, what do you think?"

„They are sleeping together, but she's attached to him much more than the other way round," said Natasha. „But that of course doesn't mean a thing. He knows who I am. And the whole breakdown theory is from his head, she's only parroting it. That's all I've got."

„Not bad," Abe smiled. „And you made him nervous."

„If he heard about me, that would be natural."

„So, shall we call Clint?" Abe laid his hand on the intercom.

Natasha nodded.

Hawkeye came in a few minutes later, carrying a laptop. He acted like he didn't see Natasha and talked only to Abe. She was almost grateful. The last thing she needed was to be distracted by him.

„I know," he said once the door closed behind him, „you are here about the traitor and you want to question me. First let me show you something."

He started with Serrano's CV. Natasha frowned.

„The date on his application for the job in SHIELD," she said. „It's two weeks after I ran from Dreykov."

„Now compare it with this," said Hawkeye and passed them the history of the team following Dreykov's activities.

„Well, that's interesting," Abe muttered.

Serrano always worked right next to the team focusing on Dreykov. When the team moved place, he'd be reassigned within a week to a place close to them. It wasn't obvious but he'd be just a couple of meters away from all the crucial information.

„And now this," smiled Hawkeye triumphantly and played them the footage from his mission.

It was clearly visible that Irina Dreykova, just before she ran, smiled at Tom Serrano. Natasha knew a lot about body language and she could tell a friendly smile when she saw one.


	6. Chapter 5: Dreykov's daughter

_Thanks for all you support, it's really important for me! I'm looking forward to your reactions to this chapter._

**Chapter 5: Dreykov's daughter**

Clint watched Natasha interrogating Serrano and once again he thought she was a piece of artwork. She was slowly getting everything out of him, bit after bit she was putting the puzzle together. And he wasn't able to stop her because she never asked him directly. She acted like she was talking about something completely different and sometimes she smiled and told him something about himself. His horrified expression was a proof of her skill.

Something about her changed since he had last seen her. She didn't _look _any different, but there _was _something different about her. It was not the black uniform, her face was the same one. After a moment Clint realized that she used to have a certain air of desperation about her, which was gone now.

She emerged from the debriefing room after ten hours and as soon as the door closed, she staggered. Abe caught her, but she refused his help and sat down.

„You were amazing," he told her. „You did your best and that's something."

„Will you get me a something to eat or do I have to question you too?" she snapped. „I'm sure he's keeping something from me. Dreykov sent him with a specific task."

„More specific than spying for him?" Abe rose his eyebrows.

„Yes. I have a theory what it might be, but I have to be sure." Suddenly she looked like she had an idea. „Take him to his cell and let me know once he falls asleep. I'm going to take a nap myself."

She went to the door, but was almost run over by furious Hannah, who burst in the room, hair in one mess, eyes glistening, fists clenched and generally looking and acting like a lunatic.

„How dare you?" she screamed at Clint. „You accuse him, you arrest him, now you interrogate him? How dare you?" She rose her hand to slap him, but he caught her wrists. It looked like his luck with women was getting worse every day.

„We have a confession," he said. „And proofs. Maybe one day they'll show you the file. You slept with an enemy, honey."

„I did, but which one of you was it?" she spitted out.

That hurt, but he knew that Hannah had the tendency to fight dirty. He pushed her as far from himself as he could. He didn't want to hit his friend, although their status as friends was kind of disputable.

„Calm down, agent Mackay," said Abe. „It wasn't agent Barton's idea to arrest Tom Serrano. Serrano was working with Irina Dreykova and we still need to find out what is her plan and why did she go to the meeting where you were waiting for her."

„But we should take agent Mackay into custody as well," said Natasha and nodded at two agents, who stood at the door. „She was in a relationship with Serrano, after all." The two agents took Hannah away. She was still screaming abuses at Clint as they dragged her out.

XXX

They woke Natasha up three hours later, telling her that Serrano is asleep. Natasha got up and dressed in her mission gear – a black jumpsuit. She tied her hair in a braid similar to the one she had in the afternoon and then tried to tousle them. The result looked like she came from a fight. She jogged to the cell block, thinking about the act she was about to make to get in character.

„Let me in!" she screamed at the guards in front of Serrano's cell.

„But..." one of them stuttered.

„Don't ask questions, you moron, just let me in!" she yelled.

They were too afraid to do anything but obey. They unlocked the cell and Natasha stormed in like a goddess of vengeance. Serrano looked at her, sleepy and blinded by the sudden light from the corridor. She dragged him out of the bed and pinned him to the wall.

„Tell me, is she after me?" she shouted in his face.

„What?"

„Is she after me?" she asked again and shook him. Then she let him go and started walking in small circles. Someone turned on the light and shut the door.

„You mean Irina?" said Serrano.

„Who else? She came here and..." Natasha looked like she couldn't finish the sentence.

„What happened?"

„She killed Hawkeye and Mackay, that's what happened!" she shouted. „She went right after them and then left. She was gone before we found her!"

„Hannah?" Serrano looked confused. „Why would she kill Hannah?"

„So it was about Hawkeye all the time?" Natasha turned to face him. „The appointment, it was a trap for him?"

„That was a side effect. When I was assigned to the mission and Fury told us we'll have Barton to cover us, I told them on which roof he'll be and she sent a sniper. We just took the opportunity to bring down one more SHIELD agent."

„Well, you did," she said and pulled out a gun, hoping that Abe was somewhere out there and that he understood what she was doing. „I owed him my life. I can't save him, but I can still avenge him. I will kill Irina, but you're first on my list."

He spread his hands and smiled. „Do it," he challenged her. „Irina will still get you."

She hesitated and then decided to bet everything on one card. „So it was me you were after?" she asked, sounding surprised.

„Of course," he shook his head. „Who else?"

At the moment she dropped the act and put the gun back in the holster. All the emotions disappeared and she regained her normal indifferent expression.

„I thought so. Thank you for your cooperation," she nodded and knocked on the door. The guards let her out while Serrano was still working through what had just happened.

Abe was waiting for her just outside the block and he was beaming.

„I saw the whole thing. How did you think of that?"

„One, nobody's too sharp when he's been pulled out of a bed. Two, most men are secretly afraid of a hysterical woman. And three, when you think you're about to die, you don't watch your tongue so closely," she said. She was proud of herself.

„No, I mean the story about Clint and Hannah dying."

For a moment she considered not answering but then she smiled and said: „That's my secret, Abe. One day I'll tell you."

She started walking to her room, when she remembered something, a small detail during their talk she didn't have time to think about at the time. She turned and ran back to Abe.

„You saw the whole thing, right? You saw me telling him that Irina came here tonight? Tell me, did he look surprised to you?"

Abe's answer was drowned in the sound of an intruder alert.

XXX

Clint was woken by the sound of the siren. He shot out of the bed and dressed in under a minute. Everybody was running around and the corridors were one huge mess. His communicator was full of voices shouting at each other, so he ran straight to the command.

„Where is the breach?" he asked the nearest agent.

„That's the point," the agent said. „There is no breach. We haven't seen a single intruder. We are sealing every exit and beginning a search, but we have no idea what are we searching for."

„Irina Dreykova," said a voice behind Clint. He turned to see Abe, accompanied by Natasha. „Serrano told us she's after Natasha and he implied that she'd come today."

„Well, you could mention that earlier," said Fury.

„We found out about ten minutes ago," replied Abe.

„Fine. Barton, take Romanoff and hide her somewhere. Kirk, you help us find this girl."

Clint turned to Natasha and their eyes met for the first time since she tried to seduce him. There was no time for personal issues now. She nodded and he gestured to the door. He led her through the crowd to his own hiding place. It was the production hall, where parts of SHIELD equipment and special gear were made. There was a lot of ropes, chains and beams to help an acrobat like Natasha escape. Of course, there were machines and a couple of vats of acid, but he'd take the risk.

They were halfway across a dark hall, heading for a small alcove where he wanted to hide, when Natasha stopped and listened. He did too, but all he heard was a low whistle.

„She's here," Natasha whispered.

„How do you know?"

„That whistle, that's Dreykov's sign. That's how we used to tell each other that we were ready."

„That's correct, Natasha," said a girly voice from above. She was speaking Russian but Clint knew the language well enough to understand. „You still remember."

He sent an arrow in the way the voice was coming from, but he heard it hit only some metal.

„Hawkeye, always missing Russian girls," said the voice. „I'm sorry, you took something of my father's and he sent me to bring it back."

A figure descended from the darkness above, swung on a rope, snatched Natasha and disappeared in the darkness above with her.

Clint cursed and ran to the light switch.

XXX

Natasha was struggling, but Irina had some kind of device that pulled them up among the ropes and beams under the roof. She let her go and it took Natasha a few seconds before she regained her balance on one of the iron beams.

Someone turned on the lights. Irina was perched on a tightened steel rope and she was smiling.

„You pissed daddy off," she said. „He took you in. He made you what you are. And you want to kill him."

„I don't want to kill him..." Natasha began.

„Oh please! We know you're looking for him. It's not because you want to send him Christmas cards," Irina sniffed.

„Let me finish. I don't want to kill him now. I want him to suffer. I want him to see his lifework falling apart, his precious money lost, and yes, his daughter dead. After that I will kill him, knowing that I took everything from him, just as he took everything for me," Natasha hissed.

Irina lunged forward, but Natasha avoided her and moved to another beam. This one was wide enough for a person to walk on normally.

„You traitor!" Irina snarled.

„You sent Serrano to prepare the way. I guess you know all about traitors."

„So you figured that one out. What gave him away?"

„His eyes. You can make him act as anything you want, but you can't remove the mark of Dreykov from his eyes. That and your little smile when he let you go. That was sloppy of you."

Irina moved again and this time Natasha wasn't fast enough. Irina knocked her down on the beam and pulled out a knife. Natasha realized they were both just above one of the vats of acid. A fall would mean certain and not very nice death.

She remembered that Irina always liked looking in the eyes of her victims, so she avoided her gaze.

„Look at me," Irina demanded.

„Go to hell," Natasha muttered.

„No, Ladybug, that's your destination." Irina used her old childhood nickname, one of the things that helped them to survive the training. When someone was falling down, the other kids called him by his nickname. It always gave them strength to get up and continue. Of course, Dreykov found out and turned them on each other, but they all remembered.

„Shut up and kill me, Nightingale."

„I still use that as a codename, did you know? Now look at me!" she yelled and pressed the knife to Natasha's throat.

Suddenly Irina winced and Natasha saw an arrow in her shoulder. She had only a split of a second to realize what that means before Irina started to fall and took Natasha with her.

Natasha managed to grab a rope and held on tight. She looked down and saw Irina clinging to another rope. And she was climbing up with a knife in her hand. All she had to do was to cut Natasha's rope.

Natasha killed in some very nasty ways in her life, but never like this. Never with clear head and never someone she knew. It was the fear for her life that made her do it. She slid down the rope and kicked Irina in the face with all the strength she could find.

Irina's feet got tangled in the ropes as she fell. She had time for just one last high pitched scream before she ended up hanging by one leg with only her head dipped in the acid.

Natasha was right, people didn't watch their tongue when they were about to die.


	7. Chapter 6: Partners

_New chapter, get ready for a new mission, some action and something that might be called fluff. Don't be afraid to review, I don't bite! Also, thanks for all the reviews you wrote me so far._

**Chapter 6: Partners**

„She's still shaken," Abe said. „She's not showing it, of course, but she's distracted. From what I've heard she knew that girl since they were kids. I guess they went through hell together and now she had to kill her."

„It was my fault," said Clint.

„Dreykova would kill her if you didn't shoot her. You did your best and considering it was your first day out of the bed, it's a miracle you're still walking," Abe told him.

Clint grimaced. His back still hurt. They had to repair a couple of stitches he tore out as he was climbing the ropes to get a clear shot at Irina Dreykova.

At that moment Natasha walked in. Abe was right, she was hiding it, but she was shaken. And the air of desperation around her was back.

„Fury wants to speak with us," she said.

„But he can, for once, come to you," said another voice behind them and Fury appeared in the doorway. He sat between Abe and Clint and waited for Natasha to get her coffee. After she sat down, he started. „You all did very well. You found out the truth about Serrano and you got me Irina Dreykova. I decided to make a team out of you three."

Clint and Natasha looked at each other at once. Neither of them believed Fury was serious. _Really, they partnered me with the girl I tried to kill? With the girl who tried to kill me? _Clint thought.

„Is it wise?" asked Abe. „Clint and Natasha have kind of a history..."

„They both proved themselves to be loyal SHIELD agents. And, of course, you're the boss," Fury smiled at Abe. „Your mission is undercover. We have a terrorist leader in Brasil who is connected to Dreykov's web. Information from this source might be crucial for finding Dreykov."

„Sounds like a job for Natasha," smiled Abe.

„Actually it's not," said Fury and showed them a photograph of a woman well in her fifties. She looked quite elegant, but her eyes were yellow and cruel like eyes of a bird of prey.

„Wow," Clint patted Abe on the shoulder. „Good luck, buddy."

„As I said," Fury was grinning right now, „Kirk's the boss. He and Romanoff will try to recruit some of Mrs. Carreiro's staff, but I need to get them inside and someone to keep Mrs. Carreiro occupied."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Clint felt his own face freezing in a mask of horror. Natasha seemed to be bored and Abe compassionately patted him on the shoulder.

„Please, tell me I don't have to sleep with her," Clint groaned.

„If you can do what we need..."

XXX

_At least we stopped ignoring each other, _thought Natasha as she stretched before a workout with Hawkeye and Abe. After Irina's death she and Hawkeye talked about their upcoming mission, but about nothing else. When Abe was not around, they limited themselves only to the necessary communication.

The common workouts were Fury's idea. SHIELD agents were still preparing their cover stories, so they had a couple of weeks for team-building.

„We're supposed to be there," Abe told them, pointing to a door at the other side of the gym. „There are about fifty men waiting for us. Our task is to get to the other side of the room without getting killed." He handed Hawkeye a quiver of arrows with blunt heads and Natasha got a couple of paintball guns.

She rolled her eyes and muttered something not very nice in Russian. Hawkeye looked tempted to walk away.

„Hey, it's not my idea," Abe defended himself. „Let's just get over with it."

The door didn't lead to another gym like Natasha initially thought, but to a hall of a size of a football field. The ceiling was at least fifteen meters high and the whole place was filled with fake trees, fake bushes, small walls and she even caught glimpse of two car wrecks. And of course, men who already fired paintballs at them.

She rolled behind a tree and brought down two men. Both Abe and Hawkeye were on her left, so she turned to the right side where she was uncovered. Just in time to force another attacker to take cover.

„I'm down," she heard Abe's voice from her earpiece. „I can come back in ten minutes. Until then it's up to you."

_Up to me and Hawkeye, _Natasha thought. _Great._

She assessed the tree she was hiding behind. It was plastic, but it looked strong enough not to break. She slid her guns in holsters and started to climb up. Three times she had to stop to shoot at men who noticed her, but soon she was hidden among the branches and could pick her enemies off one by one.

It would work, but she didn't count on the enemies to pile up. For every one she shot, two more appeared. She looked around and found the spot they were supposed to reach. There was a brick wall, about one and half a meter high, ending not far from there, with an open field on one side and a narrow strip of grass and the wall of the hall on the other. If they could reach it...

„Hawkeye!" she said to her communicator.

„Copy," he growled. He was trapped behind a thick bush and he was very busy keeping the enemies at bay.

„See that wall on the left?"

He peeped out and a paintball missed his face by inches.

„Can you get there?" he asked.

„Cover me?"

„I'll do my best."

Natasha jumped down from the tree, rolled to avoid the first shots, fired at the closest moving thing, ran, jumped behind a car wreck, fired once more, ran again and climbed behind the longed-for wall. She saw Hawkeye look from his hiding place.

„My turn," he said.

All the enemies were still so surprised by Natasha's stunt, that they didn't notice him at first. She did her best to keep the occupied and not to hit Hawkeye at the same time. He used a big boulder as a stepping stone and jumped over the wall, almost landing on Natasha.

„Hey, watch your step!" she protested.

„Shut up and shoot, princess!"

They moved along the wall, both aware that they were going to run out of ammo very soon. Soon they reached the end of the wall, when they were only a few steps from the big red cross on the wall they were supposed to touch. Well, only a few steps and ten men.

„I've run out of arrows," Hawkeye said.

Natasha looked at her guns. She had only four paintballs left. She sighed and tossed the gun to Hawkeye.

„Make them count," she told him. She knew he was far better marksman that she was ever going to be. He managed to hit four of them and then he looked at her.

„No way out but through," he said simply.

She nodded and together they ran forward. They surprised the enemies and somehow managed to punch and kick their way to the other side. They banged their hands on the wall at the same moment.

„Good job," Abe praised them. Natasha hadn't noticed he had been sitting near the mark and watching them. „You missed the record time only by a few minutes. Let's sit down somewhere, I've got the basics of our cover stories."

They holed up in Abe's room, where he handed them identical folders, containing their new identities. Hawkeye was supposed to be David Anthony, a bussinessman from Baltimore who wanted to support the terrorist in exchange for illegal goods. Abe was going to play his driver Neil and Natasha was going to be David Anthony's assistant Evangeline.

„Well, at least I get to wear some nice clothes," she said. „On my last undercover I was a slut. On my last three undercovers, actually."

„Yeah, I will even let you wear pigtails," Hawkeye teased.

„Shut up, Barton," she said, not realizing it was the first time she called him by his real name, „or I'll bite you again."

XXX

Leonor Carreiro, the terrorist leader, attended a huge garden party at a mansion of one of the extremist politicians in Rio de Janeiro. Fury found a way to sneak them in and Clint made his first contact there. Two weeks later they were invited to stay with Mrs. Carreiro at her villa a few miles from Sao Paulo.

Everything was going well, Mrs. Carreiro seemed to like Clint well enough and Abe found a few members of her household that might be willing to cooperate with SHIELD. The only one who looked nervous was Natasha. She was tense all the time and tended to overreact. When Mrs. Carreiro told Clint that he should find a new, less jumpy assistant, he went to confront her.

He found her in the garden, sitting among the bushes and playing with a flower. She almost attacked him before she recognized him.

„What's going on?" he asked her harshly.

„Nothing," she said and sat down again, relieved that it's only him.

„Your nothing is jeopardizing the whole mission. You're on pins and needles. So – what's going on?"

„Are you telling me off?" she rose her head. „Carreiro may have ten Dreykov's people here. Do you think that he didn't send every assassin he can spare after me? One person recognizes me and I'm dead. That's going on."

„No, it's not," Clint shook his head. „You've lived like this for a long time. Is it about Irina?"

„That's none of you business."

„You're drawing suspicion to us. That's risking my neck and I would call that my business."

Natasha suddenly seemed to be shrinking and she looked at the flower in her hands. „The training we went through was extremely hard, even cruel, and we did all we had to do to survive. Irina was the closest thing to a friend I've ever had. When Dreykov found out that we are getting close to each other, he started to use new methods. Drugs, mostly. The worst one he called Daddy's Girl. It was like giving you a new personality. It clouded your brain and silenced every part of you that might cause him trouble.

When we were high on the drugs, he talked to us. He gave us our new target and the way how to kill them. And we went and did exactly as we were told, because that was the only way to get another fix. He made us inform on each other, even on our friends. Sometimes, when one of us was redundant, he made us kill him. And the worst thing was that most of the time we didn't even think there was anything wrong about what we were doing.

Irina... I knew she was telling him everything, even about me. I knew he sent her after me when I ran. But I didn't want to kill her."

Clint didn't know where all this came from. He had always suspected something like this in her past, but he had never expected to hear her confessing all this to him. He felt like he was supposed to say something nice, but what do you say to a person who has been killing others since she was twelve?

„She was sent to kill you," he reminded her.

„So were you," replied Natasha.

There was really nothing he could say after that.

„During a game one of the kids broke Irina's hand. It was an accident, but Dreykov had the kid beaten up. I killed her. What do you think he has prepared for me?" she said, getting up. „But I'm sorry for the lousy acting. I'll do better." She turned to leave.

„You're not alone in this. I have your back and Abe is covering both of us," he promised. That was the least he could do.

„Everybody's alone," she said bitterly. „There are just people who don't want to stab you in the back at the moment."

XXX

„Oh, I could get used to mission like this," purred Abe.

Mrs. Carreiro left for a few days and she wanted to talk to Barton as soon as she got back. Abe already recruited one of her housemaids to eavesdrop during her mistress' meetings and Natasha was working on Mrs. Carreiro's secretary. But right now Carreiro was gone and they had three free days in Brasil, so they spent them on a beach.

Natasha was sunbathing and watched Barton jumping in the water. She told him one of her biggest fears but couldn't bring herself to regret it. Barton saved her life, twice, actually, and he seemed to act like he forgot about her unsuccessful attempt to repay her debt, not to mention her similarly unsuccessful attempt to kill him. She was almost close to trusting him. What more could she wish for?

„Come on, you two," Barton shouted from the water. „I don't want to be the only idiot getting wet."

„What's wrong, are you scared of the seaweed?" she called back and turned to expose her back to the sun. That was a fatal mistake because thirty seconds later someone dropped a fistful of cold and slimy seaweed on her back.

Natasha shot out of her sunlounger and saw Barton running back to the water, laughing like a madman.

As far as she could remember, she had never acted immature, not even as a child. But right now, with Barton whooping in the waves and Abe, who got his fair share of the plant attack, chasing him and cursing, she thought that there was a first time for everything. And she had a vengeful nature.

She followed them in the sea and splashed at Barton. He had to turn to splash back, but he forgot about Abe, who lunged at his back. But Barton was fast and avoided him. Natasha caught Barton's arm and soon all three of them went underwater. Abe and Natasha had to hold both Barton's hands behind his back and dunk his head a couple of times before they made him apologize.

Natasha was breathless from the diving, the fight and the laughter, but she didn't remember feeling so lightheaded in her life.

„Is that laughter?" Barton asked Abe. „Is she laughing?"

Natasha automatically put on her indifferent face. „No, she's not."

„But she was." Abe sounded amazed. „I didn't know she could do that."

She stuck out her tongue at them, surprising even herself, and marched to the beach. She tried to look dignified, but inside she was still laughing.


	8. Chapter 7: Relapse

_Please, review, your feedback is very important for me. Are you read to find out what happened in Sao Paulo?_

**Chapter 7: Relapse**

„Have you seen Natasha?" Clint asked Abe. „We are running late."

„I haven't seen her since morning. I'm looking for her for the last half an hour," Abe frowned. „She's not answering her cellphone and I can't reach her communicator."

Clint felt his heart drop. He remembered what she told him among the bushes in Mrs. Carreiro's garden. _One person recognizes me and I'm dead._ And he promised he'd watch her back.

„I've sent people to look for her," Abe assured him. „But we have to go. We can't lose this contact. If Carreiro cooperates with David Anthony, we'll have her exactly where we want her. Come on, Clint, Natasha can take care of herself."

Clint knew he was right. It was hard to leave the search for her to another team, but he was on a mission, so he straightened his tie and let Abe open the limousine door for him.

The meeting point was in Carreiro's house in Sao Paulo. Clint got out of the car and with one last look at Abe went inside. He was in the elevator with two of Carreiro's bodyguards, when his communicator came alive. It wasn't Abe, it was agent Bradbury, the leader of their backup team and their link to Fury.

„_We haven't found the Widow yet. New orders – if you are exposed, kill Carreiro."_

Clint had to surrender his gun when he entered the building. He was weaponless, but that didn't mean he was harmless. Still, he'd prefer at least a knife. Natasha was much better at hand-to-hand combat than him.

He entered the conference room and he knew at once that something was wrong. The room was teeming with bodyguards and Carreiro's lips were twisted in a nasty smile.

„Welcome, Mr. Anthony," she greeted him.

„Good afternoon. I was under the impression that this was supposed to be a private meeting," he said, looking meaningfully at the small army.

„There was a slight security mishap," Carreiro smiled. „Did you know that Miss Evangeline is in fact the famous Black Widow?"

Clint felt like she punched him in the stomach, but kept his poker face. „Are you telling me she is a spider?" he acted confused.

„No, I am telling you that she's a highly skilled assassin and a spy."

Clint bit his lip. „She had the best recommendations. But I guess you know how to obtain those thing when you're in her line of work."

„That's not the point," said Carreiro. „You told me she has worked for you for three years, but I have a reliable intelligence that says that until eighteen months ago she worked for certain Konstantin Dreykov. Which brings me to my point – who are you?"

Damn.

Clint scanned the room. The bodyguards moved so they covered every exit. Fighting his way out was going to be interesting, though not impossible. Killing Carreiro in the process was going to be trickier.

„Well, I did some research on you, Hawkeye," Carreiro smiled.

Damn.

„Have you ever heard about a drug called Daddy's Girl?" she continued. „It enables an advanced form of suggestion. You can almost program a person to do something. That's how Konstantin got his little girls to do all the awful things."

She rose her hand and someone opened a door behind her. Natasha came in, but not beaten up, not dragged in fighting, she came in free with her head held high, dressed in black. She was very pale and sweating, but she looked... like Natasha. Like the girl he was playing with in the ocean just two days ago.

„We had all morning to work on her. She's been told exactly what to do with you. She even practiced. It's amazing that she managed not to get any blood on herself," Carreiro clicked her tongue. „But you will have a firsthand experience. Natasha, ladybug, kill agent Barton."

What happened next was one of the scariest things in Clint's life. Natasha nodded and looked at him. Her eyes were aware of every little thing in the room, but they were empty. She had to be high on the drug, brainwashed. She didn't know what she was doing, but she was going to kill him.

Carreiro waved at her people and turned to leave. Natasha pulled out a thin nylon string and tried it. He could imagine the string biting into his neck and almost shuddered.

„Now," said Carreiro, as she reached for the doorknob.

Clint didn't wait for Natasha to attack. He punched one of the bodyguards and pulled a gun out of his holster. Then he did something nobody expected him to. He didn't shoot at Natasha but over her shoulder. His bullet hit Carreiro in the neck and the room became a definition of chaos.

At least for the bodyguards, who didn't know if they're supposed to kill Clint or help Carreiro. Natasha was still set on killing him.

So that was what she was talking about? That's how Dreykov controlled her all those years? Was this the real Black Widow?

She attacked, but he expected it. They spent a lot of their team-building time sparring and they knew each other moves. It proved to be both an advantage and a handicap. She was trying to get behind him and he was trying to catch her. The bodyguards mostly ran or tried to move dying Carreiro and left him to her. Clint was wondering if anyone picked up the distress signal he sent. The bullet wound from Bombay was starting to hurt.

_Here we are again, trying to kill each other, _he thought bitterly.

All the time he was trying to come up with a way to wake her up. He thought of hitting her in the head, but he couldn't get close enough. He was still holding the gun, but he was reluctant to use it on her.

At that moment the door opened and Abe stormed in with the backup team. Natasha looked up, slipped past Clint, stole one agent's spare gun, shot another agent who tried to step in her way, slipped past the rest of the confused team and ran.

XXX

Coming back to senses has always been the worst part.

First stage was nausea and confusion. She threw up in some smelly backyard, but even though she felt sick she knew she had to run. She saw strange clothes on her and tore them off.

Second stage was weakness and realization. She remembered everything. She let them take her, she killed innocent people and she almost killed Barton. He saved her life and all she gave him in return was trouble. She became the Black Widow again. All her past victims came back to her – those she shot, those she strangled, those she poisoned, those she pushed from roofs or cliffs. Barton had almost joined the list and there was nothing she could do about it. She was vaguely aware that she was crouching among trash bags, half naked because she tore her clothes to shreds, but who cared? She deserved all that and worse. She wasn't even a person, she was a robot trying to act human. Give her the right command and she would turn into a soulless killing machine. She almost wished Barton killed her when he was meant to, when she was still living in the illusion of freedom.

Third stage was cold sweat, low blood pressure and emotional instability. Dreykov always locked them up in solitary during this phase, but she remembered walking past the cells and hearing the sobs and screams. She burst into tears of self-pity. She scratched her arms until they bled and sometimes whimpered like a wounded animal, begging someone to end her suffering.

During the third stage Barton found her.

„Natasha!" he cried. „I've got her," he told someone when he knelt next to her. „You're a mess. What have you done? Come here." He wrapped her inside something warm, picked her up and carried her away.

Stage four came before she found out where they were going. She welcomed it, as always. It was her favorite.

Stage four was unconsciousness.

XXX

Clint felt Natasha pass out in his arms and walked faster. In his communicator he heard Abe arranging medical treatment for her, but right now she was his responsibility. Her clothes were so torn that she was more naked than dressed and her arms and cheeks were scratched and bleeding.

Abe was still driving the limousine Fury lent them for the act. Clint managed to get Natasha in and Abe drove like mad. It was hot outside, but she was trembling. _Who knows how much they gave her? _Clint thought. She could be dying, for all he knew.

When Abe was helping him to get her out of the car, Clint realized that he had been holding her in his arms the whole time. They brought the stretchers and as he was laying her down, she woke up. She mumbled something in Russian. There were tears in her eyes.

They called him and Abe when she went hysterical. He held her hand, Abe held the other and the doctors cleaned up her scratches and took her blood. The whole scene had a surreal feeling that made Clint wonder if they hadn't drugged him too.

„We don't want to give her any medication until we know what is in her system," said a doctor. „You can stay with her."

So Clint sat on one side of her bed, Abe sat on the other one and together they kept a silent vigil. She slept some of the time, some of it she was awake, but she didn't say a word. After a few hours, when it was dark outside, Clint fell asleep in his chair. Abe had to wake him up.

„They promised to call us if anything changed and they sent us to bed," he told him. „I guess we can't do anything more here."

Clint agreed and got up, but as he was about to leave, he realized one thing – he was worried about this damn girl. He saw her acting, he saw her questioning people, he saw her fighting, but it was seeing her broken what made him realize that he wanted her to live as normal life as she could. He wanted her to have friends, fall in love, maybe even get married like Abe.

Once, a long time ago, Clint had decided that he would never lie to himself. He might decide to lie to the whole world, but inside he'd always know and accept the truth. Accepting that he grew fond of Natasha Romanoff was one of the hardest confessions he had ever made.


	9. Chapter 8: Personal

_This one is a little more descriptive. I'm looking forward to your reviews._

**Chapter 8: Personal**

It took twenty-four hours to get Daddy's Girl out of human system. When Natasha felt like her mind was her own again, she forced her exhausted brain to think. She went over everything she remembered doing. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it was bad enough and she had to put it right.

She asked for Abe and explicitly asked him to come alone. He smiled when he saw her. Like a friend, happy to see his friend getting better.

„I want to be reassigned," she told him.

Abe looked surprised. „I know, it's been a lot to go through, but don't you want to think it over?"

„It's not because of what they did to me," she told him. „It's not even because of what they made me do. I just want a different mission."

„You agreed to work for SHIELD on one condition. You wanted to go after Dreykov more than anything. Why the change of mind?"

„I have my reasons."

„I want to know them."

Natasha saw that persuading him was going to be harder than she thought. She wanted nothing more than a good night's sleep, but she had to this first. „Trust me, Abe. It will be better for everybody."

„So it's about you being sent to kill Clint?"

He was better than she expected. On the other hand, she had had better days.

„Abe, please, just let me go somewhere else." She gave him her best puppy eyes. „I'm a threat for everyone working with me and I can't threaten a man who saved my life three times now."

She hated the compassion in Abe's eyes. Did he really believe that she would be that sentimental? They both knew that Barton could take care of himself and the person she threatened most was herself. She wasn't some stupid novel heroine with delusions of grandeur.

The reason behind her request came from a different train of thought. Dreykov wasn't going to rest until he got her and she didn't want to end up as an animal in a trap. She knew what she had to do - bring the fight to him. Still, there was no need to take two perfectly good agents with her. She wasn't being sentimental, she was being economical.

„As you wish. I'll talk to Fury," Abe promised her. „Let me know if you change your mind."

XXX

Nock, draw, loose. The routine was simple. One, two, three, one, two, three, just like waltz. Not that Clint danced, at least not the classical dances. But sending arrows to the hearts of practice dummies was his own form of dance. Standing still while shooting was too boring, he was moving all the time, running, jumping, climbing, avoiding invisible enemies. And during all those there was the constant waltz of shooting. One, two, three, nock, draw, loose.

The door opened and that meant Abe came to see him. No one else dared to come in the gym when Clint was shooting. Only Abe trusted him enough to know that Clint didn't put any dummies close to the door.

„Are you still sulking?"

Clint didn't answer. He slid across the floor and sent the last arrow into the heart of the last dummy.

„She's not dying, she's being reassigned," Abe continued. „I thought you didn't like her anyway."

Clint shot Abe a murderous glare. Abe had no idea what he was hiding and how much it scared him. „You know I have a weakness for exceptional professionals," he said.

„Is that what you are telling yourself?"

Clint needed to get it all out, because it threatened to tear him apart from inside, and Abe was probably the best person to confide in.

„I don't have many friends," he said. „There were some – you, Hannah, Marty and few more. On the beach I thought she might eventually become another one. Instead I seem to be losing all of them."

„Wow, you're whiny," Abe whistled. „Friends don't grow on trees, you idiot, you have to make them and shutting yourself in the gym and snapping at everyone in your way is _not _how it's done. So either go out and be nice to people for a change or stop complaining."

That left Clint speechless for a moment. He hadn't been scolded like this since he was a boy. He considered punching Abe, but he went to collect his arrows instead.

„She's leaving tomorrow," Abe added. „I'm going to say goodbye and you're going to help me. And I _am _your commanding officer, by the way."

XXX

„I'm supposed to take you to the airport," Barton told her when she reached the lobby.

She hadn't talked to him since the incident and he didn't come to see her. Abe told her he wasn't angry with her, but she wasn't sure. Barton wouldn't fool Abe, but Abe might have lied to her to spare her feelings.

„Fine," she nodded. „Shall we?"

They got in the car and rode away in silence. After a few minutes Natasha noticed, that they were not headed to the airport.

„Abe asked me to do him a small favor," Barton answered the unasked question. „It's not going to take long."

They soon left all the main streets behind and after some time she realized Barton was heading to the beach they visited just before the incident. She started to open her mouth, but Barton rose his hand to stop her.

„Save it for Abe," he told her.

Soon they parked in the shade of trees and Barton led her to the beach. And there, just on the place where they sat last time, was a huge sunshade with a table underneath. Abe was just finishing a feast and he grinned like a madman when he saw them.

„Great! The ice cream is melting, hurry up!" he called.

„I was forced to this," Barton made clear. „But I picked the ice cream and it's worth it."

How did they know she liked sweets? Or was it just a lucky guess?

„That would have to be a hell of an ice cream," she muttered. „How did you stop him from making a transparent?"

„I threatened to shoot him in the back while he'd be hanging it out," Barton smirked. „Come on, the sooner we do this, the sooner it will be over."

But a couple of sandwiches, two mangoes and an ice cream (Barton was right, it was delicious) later Natasha didn't want it to be over. They didn't talk about what happened, they just... talked. Abe was teasing her that she'd be given a desk job and she'd miss all the fun. Barton suggested killing him for being overly cheerful. Natasha agreed.

„You will get in trouble for murdering your superior," Abe warned them.

„Fury will understand that we didn't have a choice," Barton narrowed his eyes.

„Besides, we will get rid of the proofs," Natasha added.

Ten minutes later they had a detailed plan how to get away with Abe's death. Abe himself came up with a few ideas. She didn't realize that they had been on the beach for two hours already, not until Abe got up and said it's time to go.

They drove her to the airport and escorted her all the way to the passport control. Abe managed to reschedule her flight so that they had the time for the picnic. He gave her a passport that stated that her name was Natalie Rushman, but the photo and birth date was hers. She checked that she hadn't forgotten anything, although she knew perfectly well that she hadn't. Then she straightened her handbag and turned to say goodbye.

„Good luck, Nat," Abe smiled and shook her hand. „See you soon."

_Let's hope not_, she thought. She had a plan on her own and Abe and Barton would get in a way.

„Don't call me Nat," she frowned instead. „It sounds stupid. It's Natasha."

„Sure thing, Nat."

She rolled her eyes and offered her hand to Barton. He shook it and gave her one of his crooked smiles. „Bye, Natasha. If they tell you that he died," he jerked his head in Abe's direction, „you will know who did it."

„Remember, get rid of the body and get a solid alibi," she reminded him.

He nodded and gave her a lazy salute.

„Roger that."

XXX

The Palo Alto base was a surprisingly quiet place. There were no alarms in the middle of night, there were no combat boots stamping outside, a helicopter or a Quintjet landing was a very rare thing and they always brought smiling neat agents instead of moaning wounded soldiers. The Sao Paulo base wasn't exactly a front line, but one had a sense of activity there. Palo Alto looked more like a successful company.

It was unbearably boring.

There were only two good things about her reassignment – she had means to start her personal mission and on the third day she met Abe's wife Janet in the cafeteria. Janet was very curious about Abe and Natasha didn't mind telling her all she was allowed to and a couple of things she wasn't.

„Do you know anyone who would have time to teach me programming?" Natasha asked casually, when there was nothing more to say.

„Why?" Janet rose one eyebrow.

„I am a spy. It sounds like a useful skill for me," Natasha shrugged like it was no big deal.

„Well, I guess I can show you some tricks," Janet admitted. „But don't expect too much, it's only my hobby."

It turned out that Janet deeply underestimated herself. When she started the techno babble, she lost Natasha within two sentences. After a while Natasha persuaded her to start again, this time in dummy talk. The lessons were far from regular as both women were quite busy. Natasha was sent on a mission from time to time, sometimes for a day or two, sometimes for a couple of weeks. Janet had those tasks when they locked her up and didn't let her talk to anyone until she finished. But when they both had time, they met in Janet's office and slowly Natasha started to get a hang of it.

Janet was a much more private person than Abe, but Natasha soon trusted her as much as she trusted him. From the outside their friendship looked like a business relationship. They rarely talked about personal matters. Janet sometimes mentioned Abe, but that was the end of it. However Natasha sometimes felt like Janet understood her better than anybody else.

Four months passed and Natasha didn't even notice that it had been a year since Barton spared her on the hotel roof.

Having secrets in an organization like SHIELD was not easy, but she managed to keep one. Not even Janet knew the true reason of the lessons. Natasha was using her new skills to hack into Dreykov's computer. In four months she managed one computer of one of his dogsbodies and although she did pull out some interesting stuff, it was not enough.

After seven months in California she hacked three computers, but that were all edges of the web and she wanted the spider in the center. It was a common knowledge that Dreykov offered a juicy reward for her head and he offered even more for the Black Widow alive. That meant even less field missions for her, even more boredom, even more time to hunt Dreykov down.

When she got stuck in her crusade, she would just walk around. This base didn't have a winter garden and it was hot outside most of the time, so Natasha used to hang out in various operations headquarters. They still didn't know how to keep her out. There she realized that the Palo Alto base was fighting just as fiercely as any other, only in a different way. They didn't kick and punch, they pressed keys, but the damage could be even worse.

As they didn't dare to let her out in the open, her main job was interrogating. They brought her a prisoner, she talked to him and when she came to the conclusion that he gave her everything, she wrote a report. Sometimes her name alone was enough to make them talk. Sometimes she had to use other methods.

One day, when she walked out of the cell, exhausted and wishing for a hot meal and a bed, she heard a familiar voice.

„You _must _tell me how you do it, Nat."

She turned around and she felt an unintended smile spreading on her lips. She hadn't seen him for a year. „I told you not to call me Nat. What are you doing here?"

„I came to collect you, actually," Abe said. „They didn't tell you?"

„Tell me what?"

„Fury is starting up something big in Brazil. He wants all the best people, which apparently includes you and me. And Clint and Janet. We're going to be one big, happy family, except for the possible bloodbath, of course."

She had to laugh. She shouldn't have been, but she was happy to see him.


	10. Chapter 9: Blue

_Another one, this one has a lot of action and it prepares ground for something else. Also it (almost) explains why is Natasha so afraid of the Hulk._

**Chapter 9: Blue**

„Come on, Clint, we should go," Janet knocked on his door. He jumped down from the window sill, slowly walked to the door and joined them in the hall. Janet was on edge, while Abe was leaning against the wall, whistling the Indiana Jones theme song. „We are going to be late," she added.

„We are going to be on time," Clint said.

They walked on when Abe suddenly stopped. „We should pick up Nat."

He knocked on one door and after some shuffling inside she came out. It was the first time Clint had seen her since Sao Paulo. She looked almost the same, but somehow less... ethereal. Like there was less Black Widow and more Natasha.

„Where did you leave your pigtails?" he asked.

„They told me I am to work with the grown-ups now, so I dressed up for the occasion," she checked her neat knot of hair.

„Great, can we go?" Janet asked impatiently.

They reached the safe room just in time. Fury was waiting for them.

„Sit down," Fury ordered. „Your mission." He pressed a button and on the screen in front of them appeared a plan of a building. „It's a research facility of one Hemingway Forrester, who worked for Leonor Carreiro. Now he is in the service of Konstantin Dreykov himself. I know agent Romanoff asked not to be assigned to any mission related to Dreykov, but this is a top priority. They are making some kind of a weapon and we need to know what and why.

Barton and Romanoff are going to observe directly. Kirk, yes, I mean you, Abe, you're going to bug their computer system so Janet can connect to it from her post. Forrester has a security equal to SHIELD facilities, that's why I called you. One mistake and the whole complex is going after you. You'll need to be fast and invisible."

„Sure, because we are doing miracles as a part-time job," sniffed Abe.

„There are seven circles, Circle 1 is the heart of the production," Fury continued, ignoring Abe's remark. "You, Abe, don't have to get further than Circle 4, but you two..."

„I'm not going to like it, am I?" asked Clint.

„Circle 1," Fury confirmed his worries.

Clint exchanged a look with Natasha. She sighed. „I thought that it was too risky to let me in the field."

„Top priority," Janet said instead of Fury.

„Great. How do we do it?"

XXX

The first three circles weren't that bad. Now they reached a station where they left Abe to work on the computer system while the two of them moved on in. In Circle 2 they ran into a guard, but Barton responded quickly enough and the guard had one of his arrows between the eyes before he could make a sound. They dragged the body into a utility room and continued.

The very heart of Circle 1 looked a little like a morgue. There was at least a hundred metal tables, each loaded with something looking like a body covered with a sheet. When Barton lifted one of the sheets that was what they found. Body of a young man with short hair and athletic figure. Natasha tried another table and frowned.

„They look exactly the same," she said. On the next one she found the same man again.

They ran along the row of the tables, pulling sheets off the faces. When they reached the end, they looked at each other in horror. The room was full of clones.

„Alligator?" Barton whispered Abe's codename in the communicator. „We need to get out and fast. There are clones here, plenty of them, and I sincerely hope they are what they seem to be and not something nasty."

„Come here," Abe answered. „I'm almost ready."

They started to cover the clones again. Natasha hadn't reached half of her row yet, when the clone closest to her grabbed her wrist. She wriggled out, but the other ones were waking up.

She looked at Barton and he mouthed one word.

_Run_.

They darted for the door, avoiding the more active clones. Natasha was there first and she turned to see if Barton followed. She regretted it at once, because the situation was getting even worse.

The clones were changing into something big and blue. Their muscles grew to unnatural size and their faces turned into something between human and animal. And they started to roar.

Barton turned, not even stopping, and sent an arrow in their midst. They didn't have to worry about fast and invisible now, so he used the explosive one. It blew up one of the monsters, wounded three more and startled the rest. It wasn't much, but it gave them time to run.

For such giants the monsters were awfully fast. Natasha started to panic. When she imagined her death, it had always been a bullet, never being crushed. The monsters were closing in. _Why are they so fast? _Some analytical part of her brain suggested that it was because they weren't avoiding obstacles, they were smashing them.

She had barely noticed that they reached Circle 4 and Abe joined them. There was something wrong, there were no people in front of them, but she didn't have time to think about it, just to run and occasionally turn and shoot anything big and blue she saw.

When they finally reached the exit and it didn't open, she understood why no one bothered to hunt them down. All the enemy had to do was to seal them in with the monsters.

She looked at Abe and Barton. There was no question, not even a goodbye in their eyes. Just determination to fight and see the outcome.

„We are trapped," she heard Abe tell Janet via the communicator. „If you can send someone to get us out and blow this whole place to hell, it would be very kind of you."

„They won't get here in time," Natasha said.

„They still can blow up our blue buddies," said Barton.

That was all they had time for before they had to fight for their lives. Natasha soon found out that the giants were fast runners and incredibly strong, but they had trouble catching a small and fast person. And they weren't even that big, about two meters tall, but the huge muscles made them look even bigger.

Her only hope was to stay in motion. Barton and Abe figured it out soon enough and after a while they were fighting on a pile of corpses.

She heard Barton cry out and turned to look. He was still shooting, but now he was on one knee and it seemed that he couldn't get up. Both she and Abe moved closer to protect him, but it was difficult, because he needed clear view to keep shooting.

„Down," Abe ordered and helped Barton hide behind the dead giants.

To their surprise the monsters were already leaving. One by one they turned and went back to the heart of the complex.

All three of them sat down, leaned against the wall and tried to catch their breath. Natasha wiped the sweat from her forehead and was surprised to see blood on her fingers.

„It's a cut. It's not deep," Barton told her and gingerly touched his ankle. „Broken," he muttered.

„Janet? No, listen to me," Abe interrupted whatever his wife was going to tell him. „Blow it up. Drop the bomb on the other side of the building, but don't wait. The monsters left, but I guess they're just regrouping. Clint is hurt, we can't handle another fight like this. We have a good position, we can survive the explosion."

They heard heavy footsteps in the distance, a sign that Abe was right.

„Missile deployed," said Janet in their communicator. She sounded a little teary.

„Good girl," smiled Abe.

Then the world exploded.

XXX

When Clint woke up, he was deaf. They were slowly getting him out of the debris and they were talking to him, but all he heard were indistinct noises like he was underwater. His ankle was killing him and the thousands of small scratches and grazes were making him wonder if this is what laundry feels like after it's been in the washing machine.

He felt a jab of the needle in his arm and within two minutes he fell asleep.

The next thing he knew was that he lay in a hospital. The other bed in the room was occupied by Abe, who was whispering with Janet. Clint sighed with relief, when he realized that he could hear them.

„Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Abe greeted him hoarsely.

„What happened to you?" Clint frowned. Last time he saw him, Abe was all right.

„Couple of broken ribs," said Janet. „From when he made me drop a missile on his head."

„Don't sound so aggrieved," Abe sniffed. „_We _were fighting giants. Actual roaring blue giants."

„They really were blue? I thought I just hit my head and was seeing things," said Clint.

„No, you didn't. Well, maybe you did hit your head, but the giants were real," Abe assured him. „I call them the Smorphs. Like Smurfs, but they can do this metamorphosis..."

„Which is pretty stupid, if you ask me," said a voice from the door. Clint turned to see Natasha, scratched and with one hand bandaged, but otherwise fine. „The Smurfs were not murdering monsters."

„You watched the Smurfs?" asked Clint. Somehow he couldn't imagine a bunch of future child assassins sitting in front of a TV.

„Once, by accident," she admitted. „Last year could get _really _boring."

All right, the mental image of a grown-up assassin watching cartoons was even more disturbing.

„Great, I can bring the Lion King and we'll make a sleepover!" said Abe with fake excitement.

„Shut up, Abe," said Clint and Natasha in unison.

Abe looked offended. Janet just rolled her eyes.

„I am still your superior, you know," he reminded them.

„Shut up, _sir,_" Natasha corrected herself. „Do we know anything more about them?"

„They are basically robots with some organic parts," Janet said. „They are just designed to look like living creatures. When they're inactive, they look like a dead person, so they can be left among the casualties and taken to the heart of the enemy camp with their fallen. Once they are where they need to be, their controller sends a signal and they... well, you saw it yourself. Like Trojan horse."

Clint shuddered. The thought of their own dead rising to fight against them was horrible enough even without them turning into monsters.

„Well, one thing is for sure," he said, trying to lighten the mood. „I'm never watching the Smurfs again."


	11. Chapter 10: Flames

_This one is maybe the most important chapter in the whole story. At least for me. So I am looking forward to your reactions._

**Chapter 10: Flames**

„Stop making a fuss!" Barton snapped at Janet. He just came from the bathroom with his crutches and Janet tried to help him to his bed. Natasha didn't understand how the otherwise bright Janet could keep forgetting how much Barton hated it.

„All right, all right," Janet raised her hands in defensive gesture.

„Are you being mean to my wife again?" asked Abe from his chair at the window.

„Just because she can't understand, that after five days with these," he tapped one of his crutches, „I can manage myself."

„I'm sorry for hurting you manly pride," Janet sniffed.

„You know how touchy he is," said Natasha, who was sprawled on Abe's bed, reading a book. „The doctors are going to let him go tomorrow just because they can't stand him. Coffee, anyone?" she asked as she got up.

Both Abe's and Barton's hands shot up, although Barton almost lost his balance and one of his crutches fell on the floor.

„I'll help you," Janet told Natasha, rolling her eyes at Barton. He just grinned and he finally went to sit on his bed.

Natasha and Janet went in the hall to the coffee machine. The liquid it sold was far from a proper coffee and Natasha was sure that it would slow down the healing of any patient who drank it, but it had to do. She was making fun of Barton, but she too couldn't wait to get out of the hospital. The doctors wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong with them and they were a little too thorough for her taste. At least they weren't in a Brazilian hospital, Fury had them moved to an army hospital in Florida.

She was thinking about whether they'll get a leave of absence after the doctors let them go or not, when she heard the first shot. Without thinking she pushed Janet behind the coffee machine and reached for a gun that wasn't there. She left it in Abe and Barton's room.

She peeked in the corridor. There were men with guns and covered faces and they seemed to be locking people in their rooms. When a man asked them why, they shot him. So negotiation was not an option.

She weighed their possibilities. If she were alone, she would try to make it through to her weapons and Barton and Abe, but she had to take Janet into account. The safest way would be to barricade themselves in one of the rooms and climb out through the window.

„Listen..." she turned to Janet and froze.

Janet wasn't crouching behind her as Natasha thought. She was lying face up with a blank expression. There was a small round hole just above her right eyebrow. It wasn't even bleeding that much.

So Natasha was alone after all.

She closed Janet's eyes, got up and started to fight.

XXX

„Does that sound like shooting to you?" asked Abe and got up to check.

Clint watched him cross the room, open the door and look out. He heard the noise that was definitely shooting. He saw Abe freeze for a split of a second and then he stepped outside, shouting Janet's name.

„Get back, you idiot!" Clint cried and reached for his gun. He got up, leaning on one crutch and limped to the door to pull Abe inside. He didn't get there in time. Abe was thrown back in the room by the force of bullets hitting his body.

Clint at least tried to close the door, when someone small somersaulted inside and almost landed on Abe. Within a second Natasha was back on her feet, closing the door, locking it and pulling a bed to barricade it.

„That should hold them off for a while," she said. „What was that idiot doing outside?"

But one look at Abe silenced every friendly insult or joke that would come to mind. There were three red spots on his chest, four more on his abdomen and one on his thigh, and they were all growing rapidly. Clint had seen men like this before. They were beyond help. The bleeding was too excessive and from too many wounds, they didn't have a chance of stopping it. Sooner or later Abe was going to bleed out.

They knelt on each side of him. He was conscious, which was a miracle, considering the state he was in.

„Janet?"

„She's safe," said Natasha. „I took care of her. She got out."

Clint could see that she was only comforting him, but he hoped Abe was delirious enough not to know. He underestimated him.

„You're a liar, Nat."

„No, I'm not. You wanted to know my trick? I tell them the truth. Only bits of it, but the truth. If I am honest with the criminals, why would I lie to you?" she tried to assure him.

„That's clever," he smiled faintly. „My... ring..." Talking was getting harder for him, but they didn't tell him to save his strength. „Give it to... Janet... say goodbye..."

He passed out before he could finish the sentence. Clint reached for his neck and Natasha laid her hand on his chest. The heart was still beating but it soon gave up. They waited motionlessly until the last beat. When it was over, Natasha reached for his hand, pulled his wedding ring off his finger and put it safely in her pocket. Then she looked up and her eyes met Clint's.

They weren't on a mission, there was no Abe to lighten the mood, they didn't have anyone to tell them what to do. For the first time since the night she came to his room, they were completely alone. Right now they could make their own call.

They could try to run, but, judging by the fact that they weren't surrounded yet, their enemies were in no hurry, so they had probably people all around the hospital. They were injured and had next to no weapons, so it would seem logical to give up and hope for imprisonment. And then there was the third option.

Clint looked in Natasha's eyes and for the first time in their lives they weren't just two people who had to work together on a mission, they were a team and they both knew what call to make.

Natasha took Abe's gun, because at least she could fight with both hands. Clint checked his own weapon and positioned himself next to the door, so he could shoot anyone who comes in, and nodded at her. Natasha pulled the bed away and they let the enemies pour in.

The next few minutes consisted mostly of shooting, punching and figuring out how to use his crutch as a weapon. He heard Natasha somewhere on his right and knew she was doing fine. She was making way for him, he was covering her back. They managed to get out to the hall and move to the stairs, when Clint smelled smoke.

„They set the bottom floors on fire," said Natasha. Her voice lacked any emotion.

„Are there any people left?" asked Clint.

„Locked up in their rooms."

The smoke was threatening to choke them. They had to move fast.

„The roof," he said simply.

She nodded and shot a masked man who came out from one of the rooms.

They unlocked every door and sometimes they just found the inhabitants of the room massacred. Sometimes the patients couldn't move and they had to leave them to burn because there wasn't time to give a quick death to every one of them. He wondered if he was supposed to feel something. He lost two of his friends and there was a good chance that he'd lose his life too. And Natasha, did he really save her for this? She was probably going to die, either by a bullet or by fire, and he was going to die with her. They were working together and if one of them went down, the other one wouldn't last for long.

Clint knew all that, but he didn't feel a thing. No fear, no loss, no hope, no desperation. Only pain, but that was purely physical pain coming from his ankle and sore muscles.

They climbed the stairs to the next floor and found out that there were some more masked enemies who were too late and got trapped by the fire. Clint and Natasha were fighting back to back now, moving as one, and it was funny how good at this they were. Even though he couldn't see her and her part of the fight, he always felt her move and shifted himself to cover her as well as he could.

„Up to the roof, there's fire downstairs," Natasha shouted at the panicking people.

But the enemies kept coming out of nowhere and Clint and Natasha were getting tired. Some of the patients tried to help, but they were unarmed and they soon gave up or were killed. Clint ran out of ammo, so Natasha tossed him Abe's gun and fought with only her hands and whatever else was nearby. That meant that they had to drop the back-to-back style and she had to leave him to fend for himself.

Abe's gun ran out of ammo as well, so he used it to punch people. There were fewer enemies now and they moved faster.

Three floors up his ankle finally gave up and Clint collapsed on the stairs.

„No, go on," he heard Natasha urging some kind person, who stopped to help him. „To the roof. Barton, look at me." He did and he saw flames in her eyes. There was a lot of blood on her arm, but she didn't seem to care. She was going to fight until she falls. „Can you go on?"

He nodded. There wasn't another option.

XXX

They made it to the roof.

There were about thirty other patients, none of them armed. Barton shut the trap door leading up there and Natasha just wished for something to put on it.

Barton sat down, panting and pale. She wondered how he managed to fight all the way up here on that ankle of his. But then again, he didn't have his reputation for nothing. And she did go with a bullet in her arm for the last fifteen minutes.

She sat next to him, so close that she was almost touching him with her elbow. She caught a glimpse of the ocean in the distance and she realized it's the same ocean they swam in in Brazil. She heard a strange noise from downstairs and looked to check the trap door.

„They are not coming," said Barton. „They don't have to. The fire is going to do the rest of the work. Do you know anything about our people? I forgot my communicator in my room."

It sounded like he just went for a walk and forgot his keys.

„So did I, but I took Abe's. These things aren't voice locked, are they?"

„They are, but they have all the SHIELD agents in the database. It will recognize you."

She turned the device on and was almost overwhelmed by the shouting.

„This is agent Romanoff, does anybody copy?" she asked.

„Romanoff?" said Fury and all the voices fell silent. „What's the situation?"

She looked at Barton and he leaned closer. „We're fine here," he said. „The hospital is just burning down and we are trapped on the roof with about thirty other survivors. No pressure, but we could really use a lift."

There was a beat of silence. „There's a Quintjet coming, hold on a minute," Fury told them. „What about the Kirks?"

„They are not here," Natasha answered.

„Where are they?"

„They are not among the survivors," she specified.

Another silence. She could almost picture the whole SHIELD listening.

„The rescue is on the way," said Fury finally.

„Thanks."

So Natasha and Barton sat on the roof of a burning hospital, waited for the plane and watched the ocean in the distance.


	12. Chapter 11: Liars

_Aftermath of the hospital fire. Thanks for all the reviews, you are very sweet to me. :-) Looking forward to your reactions._

**Chapter 11: Liars**

The Quintjet took them to a base in Montana. They had to tell the whole story. Natasha did it with her gaze fixed on a wall somewhere behind the agent in charge. Clint was looking at his hands all the time. After that they sent them to the doctors. Clint had to go through X-ray again and his ankle needed surgery. Natasha had the bullet from her arm removed, but otherwise she was fine.

It was the first day after his surgery, two days after the fire. She came to his room. She didn't say a word, she barely looked at him. She crossed the room and sat on the window sill. He was surprised at first, but then they reached a silent agreement. She sat on the window sill and watched people below, he spent most of his time staring at the ceiling. The next day she came again and the day after that as well. They rarely spoke, and when they did it was about casual things. Do you want coffee? How's your ankle doing? When do you think they'll let us go? Would you mind if I opened the window? Can you pass me that please?

Two weeks after the fire the agents determined exactly which remains belonged to Abe and Janet. That was the only day when she wasn't on his window sill, because she borrowed a helicopter to fly Janet's remains to her family, along with the golden ring she was supposed to give her as a goodbye from her husband. But that day Clint wasn't in his room either, because he was in another helicopter, taking Abe back home.

Three weeks after the fire they attended a SHIELD memorial ceremony. The Kirks were both quite popular, especially Abe, so the ceremonial room was packed with agents. Clint was asked to deliver the eulogy, but he refused. He knew that they asked Natasha too and he knew her answer. Fury did it instead and it actually came off quite nice. The music was Abe's favorite, the Indiana Jones theme song. There were tears and flowers, but none of them from Clint and Natasha. They didn't need to cut some poor plants to express what the Kirks meant for them.

„You need a break," Fury told them after the ceremony. „I don't want to see any of your faces for a while. Disappear from the radar and report here in a month."

„What if you need us?" asked Clint.

„You're not the center of the universe, Barton. The SHIELD can survive a month without you two. And if there is some unexpected situation, we will always be able find you. We just won't be looking for you. And if you come back early, I will personally lock you up for the rest of your leave."

The threat sounded serious enough to send Clint packing. He could stuff most of his personal belongings to one duffel bag. He considered leaving his bow behind, but it was a part of him and he wanted to use some of his free time to practice.

He headed for the bus station, still with his crutches. He could borrow one of the SHIELD cars, but Fury boasted he could find them anywhere, so why make it easier for him?

He wasn't surprised to see that Natasha decided to go by bus too. She had a bag even smaller than his. They didn't plan on spending their vacation together, but as he saw here there, he thought that it might not be a bad idea to have company.

„Where are you going?" she asked.

„I have no idea," he shrugged. „You?"

„I don't have a place to go to," she said. „Never had."

„Well, let's see," he looked at the timetable of departures. „How about Oregon?"

„Doesn't sound too bad," she nodded. „Why not?"

XXX

It was Barton, who saw the big sign BUNGALOWS FOR RENT. She wondered if he was looking for something like this, because the little remove bungalow they chose was just what they needed. The real estate agent looked at Barton's bow somehow suspiciously and Natasha was glad that the woman couldn't see the two guns and a couple of throwing knives in her bag. But Fury managed to get them enough money to silence any of the real estate agent's concerns. (When he labeled the expense as Recompense for Emotional or Physical Damage, no one argued with him.)

She took one of the bedrooms, he took the other, but they met in the living room anyway. She sat on the window sill, he sat on the couch with his bad ankle on the coffee table.

„Will you teach me how to shoot from that thing?" she asked, pointing at his bow.

He seemed a little offended when she called the love of his life _that thing_, but nodded. „Will you teach me something about interrogation?"

She said yes. It was only fair to offer something in exchange.

„Thank you, Nat," he said.

At first it hurt, him using Abe's old nickname for her. But after a second or two she understood. It was keeping a part of their friend with them. Every time he calls her Nat, it's in honor of Abe.

They had to start with the interrogation part, because he still had to take it easy. Natasha found out that she had to stick to the basics with him. After working with Abe, Barton seemed hopelessly slow. Where Abe knew everything before she even opened her mouth, Barton didn't have a clue. It was driving her crazy.

„For a person who lies so often, you're terrible at it," she told him after two days.

„You can begin with teaching me how to lie properly, you're an expert," he replied.

„You heard me in the hospital – I am not a liar."

„Yeah, you're a beacon of truth," he sniffed.

„And that is one of the tricks," she said and leaned closer. „Eye contact." Her eyes met his. „And then the truth. Many people can sense a lie and they would back out from the trap, but all I am giving them is truth. Every time I'm doing this, I am exposing myself," she said quietly. „I am making myself vulnerable, I am a bait in the trap. Because to get to someone, I must let him get to me first, let him feel like he's winning, like I'm nothing but an emotional woman with an exaggerated reputation. And that's when they slip. It may be only one sentence, one expression, but it can tell me all I need to know. That's how I do it."

Barton couldn't be less impressed. „So you're saying I should play an emotional woman?"

A year ago this reaction would anger her, but now it didn't really matter. Her method was just a method. She was offering her enemies her weak spots for years, but every one of them thought she was lying and they all missed the wonderful opportunity to strike her where it would hurt most. She really doubted that she'd meet someone who would see through her game.

„You can try that," she smiled. „But make sure you tape it for me."

XXX

When his ankle was ready for the archery lessons, Clint finally understood Natasha's frustration with his acting skills. What felt as easy as breathing to him was a struggle for her and she still lacked patience. When her tenth arrow missed the mark and even the two meters wide board it was painted on, she threw the bow angrily on the ground.

„Don't do that," he snapped immediately, snatching it from the ground.

„I'm sorry, it's just a bow. Fury will get you a hundred of them if you want to," she said.

„It's not just a bow. Marty designed it for me," Clint admitted.

„Marty? Your friend Marty? The one from Johannesburg?"

„The one I should have killed and didn't," he confirmed.

Her face softened a little. „You're a child, Barton," she said, but there was no condemnation in her voice. She understood why he cared about the bow so much, why he started to call her Nat. He let his dead friends go, but he was trying to keep them remembered.

„I'm older than you," he pointed out. „And I am not the one throwing a tantrum over a couple of missed shots."

„No, you are throwing a tantrum over me mistreating your bow."

„Well, take it and show me what you've got," he offered her his weapon.

She took it and this time she at least managed to hit the board. She was a little more cheerful after that, but Clint could see through her act and he knew she could see through his. Inside they were both on the edge of breaking and the masks they put on were the only things keeping them together.

That night he was woken up by light footsteps in the kitchen. He reached for the gun and tried to climb out of his bed as silently as he could. Walking silently with a bad ankle was trickier. He was ready to shoot, but when he turned on the light, he found only Natasha.

She immediately turned her back to him, like she was trying to hide her face.

„You're going to be the death of me one day," he told her. „Why don't you at least turn on the lights like a normal person?"

„When have I ever been anything like normal?" she asked, turning back to face him.

„I remember certain beach where we came pretty close."

She didn't answer and he saw all the distress on her face. It was bad. Her mask was falling apart and once it does, Natasha will break.

„Bad dream?" he asked. She nodded. „Abe or Janet?"

„Irina," she said barely audibly.

Well, that was surprising, but understandable. „You do remember that it was kill or be killed, right?"

„But it was still Irina."

He looked at her, thinking about what to do.

„Let's go out," he suggested finally, taking a bottle of rum and two glasses from a cupboard. They sat on the veranda and Clint poured them both a drink.

„I first met Abe in Bratislava," he said. „It was my first mission, I was in a backup team for Abe's operation. Some of his people screwed up and we had to pull them out. He lost half of his team back there, but when I met him a few days later, he seemed fine. I asked him how he did it and he said that the key is to get very drunk every evening. But he was always a happy drunk. This one time in Salt Lake City..."

Natasha listened intently and soon she remembered some stories on her own. After an hour they moved from Abe to operations in general. After four hours they moved from swapping stories to discussions. They didn't even drink much, not enough to get tipsy. When the sun came up, they made breakfast and after that it was time for another archery lesson. But after dinner Clint took the bottle and two glasses and went to the veranda again.

After a week there was nothing more to talk about, but they still sat there every evening in silence. They repaired and polished their masks so that to the rest of the world they'd appear emotionless and invulnerable. He got better at lying and she got better at archery. And when their month was up and a SHIELD car appeared on their doorstep (they didn't really believe Fury, when he said he won't be looking for them), the agent sent to pick them up saw Hawkeye and Black Widow coming back to work.


	13. Chapter 12: Professionals

_Another chapter, this time a little more about SHIELD and little less about Clint and Natasha. Thanks for all the lovely reviews, they give me an inspiration and motivation._

**Chapter 12: Professionals**

„Your new handler, agent Coulson," Fury introduced a very unimpressive man in a dark suit.

„Whose new handler?" asked Natasha.

„Yours and Barton's. You're working together now. I want you to focus on Carreiro's web of contacts and destroy it. Agent Coulson has the details."

„I'm still working on the file..."

„Let us know when you're ready," Natasha interrupted him. What was Fury thinking, assigning this _clerk_ to do Abe's job?

„And you have a full report on the hospital fire in your rooms," Coulson added. Natasha's rudeness didn't upset him at all.

„Good. Anything else?" asked Barton.

„You're dismissed," said Fury and Natasha and Barton left.

She felt people staring at them and could almost hear the whispering. After all, both of them had quite a reputation and they disappeared for a month, only to come back together. It was human nature to jump to conclusions.

„Now I would give anything to know what they're thinking," said Barton.

„They wonder which one of us is on top," she told him.

„No, that girl at the printer is thinking about whether or not we are in love," he observed. Natasha looked at the dreamy girl with a stack of papers in her hands. Barton might have been just right about her.

„And if it's the true love," she added.

„Naturally."

They walked in silence after that, entertaining themselves with watching other people and guessing their thoughts. The looks of some of the male agents would have made Natasha blush, if she wasn't the Black Widow. They reached the dormitory and looked for their rooms.

„851, this is me," said Barton.

„They gave me 852," sighed Natasha. „Now we're not going to hear the end of it."

„We are not going to hear it," he shook his head. „There isn't a person in SHIELD who would dare to talk about these rumors within our earshot."

„Right. See you later, Clint," she said.

She didn't realize she called him by his first name, not until she heard herself saying it. But there weren't enough people calling him Clint. She decided she should stick to it.

He just smiled. „Later, Nat."

XXX

The report on the hospital fire was waiting in Clint's room, just like Coulson promised. He took a shower first and then he sat on his bed only in his sweatpants and started to read.

They identified the soldiers as remains of Leonor Carreiro's organization. It fell apart after her death, but Hemingway Forrester, the creator of the Smorphs, gathered some of them and plotted revenge against SHIELD, namely against agents Barton, Romanoff and Kirk. He was still alive somewhere, probably working for Konstantin Dreykov.

So the hospital burned down because of them. Abe and Janet died because of them. All the innocent people were shot or burned in their beds, unable to get up, because Hemingway Forrester wanted revenge.

Clint wasn't surprised at all when Natasha appeared and sat on his window sill. He sat opposite her, but they didn't look at each other. For a long time they didn't say a word.

It was Natasha who broke the silence. „I'm looking for Dreykov. Ever since Sao Paulo. That's why I wanted to be reassigned, to get in the HQ, to have access to better information sources."

Clint remembered all the times he and Abe had wondered about the reason. He always knew she was lying when she asked Abe to let her go because she was a threat, but he hadn't had a clue about her true intentions.

„And?" he asked.

„Nothing yet. But I will get him," she narrowed her eyes.

He never doubted that she would.

„Show me what you've got."

Clint had always been an operative, he was rarely gathering intelligence, but after years of working for SHIELD he picked up some of the tricks. Natasha brought her laptop and he found out that she had quite a lot of stuff. Not enough to find Dreykov or to deduce the details of his activities, but enough to get a general picture. Many of the files she downloaded from SHIELD database were commented with references to her personal experience. Just short notes only she could understand: _Mitya's hand;__ the dead twins in Vladivostok_; _the red-__eyed cat_. Most of the entries sounded so horrible or creepy that he didn't ask about their meaning.

„It's a start," he said. „And if Fury wants us to clean up after Carreiro, we will at least have access to some potentially very interesting people."

„We?" she rose one eyebrow.

„I'm in, Nat, and it's not open for discussion."

She didn't seem to mind.

XXX

Agent Coulson wasn't that big of an idiot as she first thought him to be, but it was hard to accept him. After Abe's relaxed nature Coulson seemed too uptight and bureaucratic. At least he soon understood that telling Natasha and Clint how to do their job is a very bad idea and settled for telling them what he wanted done. After that they got along just fine.

They picked off the members of Carreiro's group one by one. She approached them, gained their trust, reported every little fact she could dig up, and when they were of no further use, she led them to a place where he was waiting on the roof. She always brought him his arrow afterward.

_The Widow spins the web, but it's the Hawk who kills the prey, that gets caught_, that's what they were saying about them.

They were right. Clint and Natasha were even more deadly as a team. And the job Fury told them to do was personal. It wasn't a mission, it was a war and every death of one of Dreykov's henchmen was a battle won. A genuine pleasure, as Clint used to say. Still, there were days when Natasha would go and sit on Clint's window sill or he would perch on hers.

They traveled all across the world, from jungles of Malaysia and slums in Nicaragua to casinos in Monte Carlo and the ball in Vienna State Opera. He saw her in camouflage clothes with her gun ready, slipping among the trees like a wild animal, and three weeks later in a carmine silk dress playing poker like she hadn't done anything else her whole life. She heard him discussing stock exchange with one ambassador, one general director and one senator just a month after she watched him start a huge street brawl just to provide distraction.

Soon Coulson told them that Dreykov's allies are beginning to panic. No matter how far they ran, Hawkeye and Black Widow found them. Dreykov offered a reward for Clint's death and he even raised the price on Natasha's head, but the assassins were backing out.

Fifteen months after the hospital fire they cornered Hemingway Forrester, who in the meantime became a member of Dreykov's inner circle, in London. He knew both of their faces, so this time there was no pretending, no undercover approaching of the target. They dragged him in an empty warehouse at gunpoint, tied him to a chair and Natasha began.

„Where is Dreykov?"

„Hello, Natasha."

She slapped him in the face. Forrester just laughed. „Just throw me to your pet bird already, I don't know. Konstantin comes and goes, he doesn't tell us where or when to expect him."

„Well, then you should start with giving me a very convincing reason to keep you alive," she suggested.

„You are better than this, Natasha. You walked out on Konstantin. You have your own code, you are righteous. And you are both hunters, you like to think that your victim actually has a chance. Killing a helpless prisoner would make you stoop to my level." Forrester's tone mocked them.

Natasha smiled. It was a cold, almost cruel smile and for the first time Forrester seemed a little less confident. „That's the thing," she said. „I _am _at your level. And I am not sure that anything you have to tell me is more valuable than our revenge. That's something you should understand. Remember Farquad? We killed him in a warehouse like this, what, three months ago?"

„Four, actually," Clint corrected her.

„Time flies," she shook her head. „My point is, maybe I used to have my own code, but it burned in a certain hospital and guess who stroke the match."

„He has an aircraft," Forrester said quickly. It looked like Natasha's threat actually worked. „He is on the move all the time. He has only a couple of people with him and they are not allowed any contact with the outside world. As far as I know he canceled all his operations and he's on the run."

„On the run from who?" asked Clint.

„What do you think, genius? You two, of course."

If they dared to take their eyes off him, they would exchange a satisfied glance.

„The aircraft..." Natasha began.

„I told you, I don't know where it is!" Forrester exclaimed, panic clearly audible in his voice.

„We don't need to know where it is. I need you to remember one exact time and place where it _was_."

XXX

„This is pure gold," Fury almost gushed, which in his case meant, that there was a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. „We know the aircraft was in Berlin on December 30th last year. There had to be at least one camera that recorded it. We can get an idea what we're looking for. With this we can track that bastard down."

From London they flew straight to Palo Alto base and handed Fury the full report. They had barely time to take a shower before he called them to the command to personally congratulate them on the result.

„What happened to Forrester?" asked Maria Hill, a young agent who appeared at Fury's side often enough to cause gossip.

„He had an accident," said Clint completely deadpan. „With one of my arrows."

„It was one of the explosive ones," Natasha added. „Very unfortunate."

„Indeed," Fury agreed. „But I'm sure you weren't able to prevent it. You are dismissed. You can take a short break for this good work, but I believe that agent Coulson came across something interesting."

They were keen on carrying on the mission, but they knew their limits and took two days off. They went to the beach, swam in the ocean and lay in the sand. People thought they were a couple, on their honeymoon perhaps, and when Clint said it aloud, Natasha laughed. He had to laugh too. The very idea of them getting married was ridiculous. And neither of them could imagine Natasha in a white dress.

They returned to the base after two days and from the moment they stepped into the lobby they knew something was wrong. There was far too much whispering in the corners, far too many suspicious looks. Clint moved his hand to rest closer to his gun and Natasha started to observe people more carefully.

„Agent Barton, agent Romanoff, good to have you back," said a voice behind them. They turned to see Coulson. „I have the details of your next mission ready."

„First things first. What's going on here?" Natasha asked.

„Oh, this? Director Pellson is retiring and he explicitly asked the Council to appoint Fury as his successor," Coulson told them.

„And why is that a problem?" frowned Clint.

„Well, for one there are many agents, who have at least as much credit as he does and far less controversial opinions, and two, he _did _call the Council a bunch of idiots just a couple of weeks ago."

„That was... not tactical," Natasha swallowed a stronger word.

Coulson didn't have time to reply, because a voice from the speakers asked all agents to report to the main conference room, repeat, all agents report to the main conference room. Coulson just motioned them in the specified direction. They sat in the back row and waited for director Pellson, accompanied by Fury, to climb on the stage and test the microphone.

„Is it working? Good. This is not an official statement, more of a goodbye. I am retiring due to my health and today the Council announced your new director. In my opinion it's the best man for the job and I hope that SHIELD will flourish under his management. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you director Nick Fury."

Fury stepped to the microphone and glanced around the room. „Thank you, director Pellson, I hope I will live up to your expectations. First, I would like agent Barton to stop rolling his eyes when I'm speaking." Clint rolled his eyes again and Natasha did the same. „And the same goes for agent Romanoff. Thank you. I'm not one for speeches, so I'll keep this brief, as I'm sure you all have work to do. We live in dangerous times and SHIELD took up the insane task of protecting our people. We will find obstacles on our way, some of them quite unexpected, but we will overcome every single one of them. No matter what, we will do our job and shield the people. That's all I can promise you."

Clint and Natasha joined the applause, because the speech meant that Fury was going to hunt down Dreykov and his likes and he won't be too sentimental about the methods.


	14. Chapter 13: Frankenstein

_So, finally, we are getting close to the end. There is this chapter and three more to go. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 13: Frankenstein**

It was a middle of the night when she came to his room.

She said only three words.

„We've got him."

Clint was on his feet and gathering something else to wear than pyjamas in a matter of seconds.

The whole year after Fury became the director had been one big disappointment. They had been looking for Dreykov's aircraft, but it seemed to be invisible. Fury was threatening, asking why does a criminal have a better technology than they do, promising promotions, the team of his best analysts lead by Coulson was working their socks off, but with no result.

Until now.

„They found it," she whispered in the dark. „Just a couple of minutes ago. We have to move before Fury makes sure we stay here."

„They don't want to send us officially?" The question was half rhethorical.

„No. It's too personal for us. You haven't noticed how they don't tell us anything lately? They won't risk sending us. Can you fly a Quinjet?"

„Passably. Where are we going?"

„Budapest."

XXX

„It's funny," said Clint next day in a hotel room in Budapest. „We've been chasing his allies all over the world, but I don't recall any of them being connected to Hungary."

„We probably missed someone," Natasha dismissed it.

„And why were we able to find his aircraft now and not before?"

„Can't you just be happy that we have him?" Natasha raised her head from the laptop she was working on. She was angry and her eyes glistened as if she had a fever.

„You are not worried that this is a trap? He knows we're after him. He's clever enough to make himself a bait," Clint reminded her, trying to ignore that his partner was not acting like her usual self.

„And you think I didn't consider this? If it is a trap, I will walk right into it and I will walk out with his head. I don't really care what I have to blast along the way."

„Nat, this isn't you." Natasha was not a patient person, but she wasn't reckless either. She always used her head before she acted. This blind desire for revenge clouding her judgment scared Clint more than he was willing to admit.

„The scanning is ready. We'll have his exact location in an hour," Natasha ignored his last comment.

„And what then? Are we going to march there and try to kill him before he kills us?"

„Not march," Natasha smiled. „Sneak."

„Great," Clint muttered and got up. „In the meantime, I'm going to get something to eat. If I'm supposed to go on a suicide mission, I won't die hungry."

The truth was, he just needed to clear his head and think a little bit about what was going on. He was going to get Dreykov with her, of course, because he wanted to kill him as well and someone had to keep an eye on her, but he didn't like this. There was something wrong with the whole situation.

Or maybe it was just the fact that she had finally revealed her feelings. He had been Natasha's partner for two years, but he still had no idea how much hatred and anger was underneath her indifferent mask. For the last couple of hours he felt like he didn't even know her.

Clint hated when he doubted about something, so he decided to talk to her when he gets back. _Just to make sure that she knows what she's doing._

He found a Chinese takeaway. There was a man in front of him, who made such a fuss about his order that Clint considered looking for another fast food, but it would take even more time and he didn't want to leave Natasha alone for too long. Finally the man was content and Clint got his food and headed back to the hotel.

Natasha was sitting on the couch where he left her, but there was no laptop in front of her. She was staring at the coffee table and didn't even look up when he arrived. There was something different about her, but Clint couldn't put his finger on it.

„Nat?"

„What are we, Clint?" she said quietly. „Are we even human?"

„What happened?" he frowned. There was something _very _wrong with her.

„I mean, look at us. We kill people and it's not because it's our job. Since the hospital fire... we enjoy it. We are monsters, Clint."

„Maybe. But at least we fight against those who made us," he said and sat next to her. „Doesn't that make us the good monsters?" He never knew how to cheer her up, but until then she had never wanted him to.

„I suppose every monster tells itself something like this," she smiled bitterly.

Suddenly she did the least expected thing. She burst into tears.

He had never seen her cry before. She didn't cry when she killed Irina, she didn't shed a tear when they lost Abe and Janet. It was fully realizing what she really was, that broke her. But hadn't she known for a while?

Clint bit his lip and decided to do something he wouldn't dare in any other situation. He laid a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She looked up and their eyes met. There were still tears on her eyelashes. She gave him a small smile and kissed him.

Well, the day was full of surprises.

It wasn't a quick peck on the lips he initially expected. It wasn't a friendly kiss. She pressed herself to him, her hands moving on his back to pull him closer. He knew this was wrong, they were partners and friends and this was crossing every line he could think of. Still, he caught himself deepening the kiss and wrapping his arms around her.

They broke apart and he looked in her eyes. There were so many feelings to sort out later. She was probably the only person in the world that he trusted, they knew each other better than anyone, they went to hell and back together, but was this love? If it was, than it would be okay, but if it was just a one-night stand, it would destroy everything. And how did _she_ feel about all this? Natasha was too important for him to lose her over a moment of simple lust.

„Nat..." he began.

„Shh," she put a finger on his lips. „It can wait."

Of course. Impatient. But she used to be focused too, so why did she act like she gave up on Dreykov? She tried to kiss him again, but he pulled back.

„What's wrong?" she asked, sounding hurt. „It's all right, Clint. I love you."

That was it. His brain was reeling and he remembered everything she ever told him about interrogation. Don't ask directly. Read body language. Try to lie as little as possible, but you can bluff. _Screw that_, he thought,_ for this I don't need her methods._

„I love you too," he smiled. „But Dreykov..."

„We still have time before we get his location. Please, Clint, let's forget him for a while," she whispered.

He rested his hands on her shoulders. He wanted to go on, he wanted it so badly, but every minute he was surer that it was a bad idea. He only had to check one last thing.

He unzipped her sweatshirt and took it off. He ran his fingers across her arms, both white and perfectly smooth, not marred by scars like his, and leaned to kiss her again. One of his hands found an ashtray on the coffee table and as they broke apart, he hit her in the head.

The real Natasha had a scar on her arm, from the bullet she took during the hospital fire. Whoever this woman was, it wasn't her.

XXX

The computer announced a match on Dreykov's aircraft just a couple of minutes after Clint left. Natasha considered calling him back, but their conversation left a bitter taste in her mouth. He wasn't ready to do this. For him, Dreykov was just another scumbag to be taken down. For her, it was the worst nightmare. Ever since she had learned he was in Budapest, every small detail from her childhood was coming back to her. His smile when he first gave her the drug, Daddy's Girl, his anger when he found out that Irina helped her through an obstacle course. And how he taught them to withstand torture, his favorite practical part of the training. Clint hadn't gone through any of this. He was in because of Abe and Janet and because they were partners, but it wasn't enough.

She changed into her uniform - black pants, grey shirt and black jacket - and took her guns and a new device she had had just for a couple of weeks – a pair of taser bracelets. She looked at her communicator and then left it on the table. Fully aware that her gear is not exactly inconspicuous she at least hid her guns and bracelets in a handbag. After that she looked a little extravagant, but not dangerous.

Everything went well for exactly five minutes, until she reached the lobby. She would recognize Coulson even if he was impersonating a mummy, but he wasn't hiding. She slipped her hand in the bag and found her gun.

„Just don't," she told him.

„Let's talk. Not here," he replied.

She followed him to the backyard of the hotel. Getting rid of him in public would cause trouble.

„What were you thinking?" Coulson hissed angrily. He looked a little bit like a pissed-off tomcat. „Do you know exactly how much trouble you could get into? I had to say that I sent you to secure the perimeter for Fury's visit here."

„Fury's what?"

„Fury's here since yesterday. It's been planned for months, he wants to negotiate with Hungarian Prime Minister about building a new base in Hungary. I had to say that you two are here undercover as bodyguards and that I told you to take the jet and forgot to handle the clearance, but you took it anyway because you were in a hurry," Coulson spluttered.

„Did you cover for us?" Natasha frowned.

„Of course I did and I already wish I haven't."

„And you know Dreykov's here?" she checked.

„What?"

„The detectors in SHIELD picked up his aircraft, it's parked it on a huge construction site not far from the center. You don't know?"

„No. And by the way, how do _you _know?" Coulson eyed her suspiciously.

„I hacked the detectors," she shrugged. „But I'm sure they picked it up. Unless..."

„What?" Coulson didn't follow her.

„Unless someone hacked me and sent me a fake message. Maybe they wanted me to know where they are, to bring me here," she smiled. It was an invitation, a challenge for a duel between her and Dreykov. She let go of her gun and moved her hand in her bag to grab something else. „When you come round, tell agent Barton to go to Fury and cover him, and warn Fury himself."

„What do you mean..."

He didn't have a chance to finish before she tasered him and disappeared.

XXX

There was no point in hiding, so she marched in, just like Clint mockingly suggested. She saw Dreykov's henchmen, some of them she even remembered from her time, but they didn't make a move to stop her. So she was right, she was invited.

The aircraft wasn't that big, there was a space of the size of an average living room in the back, set up as headquarters. She saw Dreykov even from outside. He was sitting with one of his pet girls and sipping a drink. In appearance he was remarkably normal, just a balding man in his early sixties, wearing a white suit. Natasha came closer and he smiled.

„Hello, Natasha," he said simply. „It's been so long. Five years, right?"

„I guess. Thanks for the invitation. How long did you know I'm after you on my own?"

„I didn't _know_, but I thought you would be. Bring the fight to me, that was always your style, and the last thing you want are Fury's dogs getting in the way."

She narrowed her eyes a little. „You knew me well, but I've changed."

„Did you?" Dreykov smirked. "And what are you? A fighter for justice, a woman of honor? I don't think so. You're still a killer, Tasha."

„I am what you made me."

Dreykov threw his head back and laughed. „You think _I _made you what you are? Is that what makes you sleep better?"

Natasha clenched her fists in anger. „You forced me to do all those things. The murders... you _programmed _me to do it."

„Tasha, my dear, you never wondered why so many children disappear during the training? They weren't the right material. Not even Daddy's Girl can make you into something you are not," he told her. „Deep down in the core you have always, even before you met me, been the Black Widow. I only brought her to the surface."

Was he right? Was everything she thought about herself a lie? A merciful lie maybe, but lie nevertheless. Maybe he really didn't make a new person, only reshaped the one that was already there. But that would mean that all those terrors were part of her, that she was just as bad as him, and she had to be. Because when she ran, all those years ago, she remained a murderer. She could have started a new life, become a normal person, only a monster that enjoyed killing wouldn't...

„You're lying," she whispered.

„No, my dear, I taught you to tell and know the truth, didn't I?" he almost purred. „Look at me and tell me if I'm truthful. You are a killer in your heart and not even a thousand of Fury's mercies can change that."

And there it was, just what she needed. Even Dreykov slipped when he thought he was winning. „Fury? You know perfectly well that it was agent Barton's decision to bring me in."

„Yes, concerning agent Barton," Dreykov turned to one of the screens. Natasha followed his gaze and saw their hotel room on a screen. A woman, looking exactly like her, was sitting on the couch and kissing Clint. „Sonya spent the last four years of her life studying you. She had a couple of surgeries to look like you and she learned how to impersonate you. She's rather good, as you can see. When she's done in the hotel, she'll come here to play with you and after that... let's say you won't stay dead. Unfortunately that can't be said about your precious agent Barton."

Natasha had seen doppelgangers like this before and she considered them one of the most awful tricks, because the victim thought that he was being killed by someone he trusted. There weren't many worse ways to die.

And now the target was Clint.

That was a bad move on Dreykov's part.

She turned to him, her face completely composed.

„Have you read Frankenstein?" she asked him.


	15. Chapter 14: Reunion

_Thanks for all the nice reviews and let's continue in Budapest. The chapter might be confusing because chronologically the beginning of Clint's part belongs to the last chapter, but hopefully you won't get lost._

**Chapter 14: Reunion**

When she asked Dreykov about Frankenstein, he was confused for a second – all the time she needed to fire. She missed him by an inch, cursed herself for not paying better attention during Clint's rants about aiming and turned to defend herself from his bodyguards. She didn't get another clear shot at Dreykov, and her first objective was to get out and get to Clint. A bullet grazed her cheek, but she fired on, forcing her enemies to take cover in the limited space.

Slowly, inch by inch, she moved to the exit from the aircraft. But there were too many of them and the surprise was quickly wearing off.

„Keep her alive for Sonya," called Dreykov.

They were closing in and the firefight turned into a hand-to-hand combat. She was better than most of the footmen, but she was simply outnumbered. She would hold her ground for a couple of minutes, but even the Black Widow got tired after some time. Determined to at least go down fighting, she bit a hand that held her and twisted to kick someone else, when a blast from something really big shattered a monitor next to her.

The whole fight froze to look at a man in a motorcycle helmet with a gun that looked like something between a really big rifle and a small bazooka. Dreykov's men were confused, they had no idea whether this man is an ally or an enemy, but Natasha would recognize Coulson anywhere.

She took advantage of another moment of surprise and ran out of the aircraft. Coulson gestured to the motorbike standing nearby.

„Put on the helmet!" he shouted as their enemies started to fire again.

„Are you kidding?" she shouted back and snatched the gun from his hands. „Shut up and drive!"

She covered them as they pulled back to the motorcycle. When she heard the engine roar, she slung the big gun across her shoulder, sat behind Coulson and let him take her away.

XXX

Clint cuffed the fake Natasha to the kitchen chair and sat on the table, knowing he had just a couple of seconds to think about what to do, before she would wake up. It wasn't easy. He still felt her kisses on his lips and her _I love you _still echoed in his ears.

_Focus, Barton, focus, _he told himself.

The most important question was: what happened to the real Natasha?

„Agent Barton, do you copy?" said Coulson in his communicator.

„Coulson?" Clint frowned.

„No time." Coulson's speech was a little slurred, like he was drunk. „Fury's in Budapest, meeting the Prime Minister. Dreykov probably wants to do some mischief. Go and protect Fury. Romanoff went after Dreykov, I have to go and get her out."

Good, so Natasha was alive and well. And probably walking in the lion's den as they spoke.

„Where are you?"

„You. To Fury. Now!"

After this Coulson turned the communicator off. Clint uttered a curse and turned to see that the fake Natasha woke up and was trying to free herself.

„Easy there, princess. Who are you, besides being one of Dreykov's dogs?" he said.

„Natasha Romanoff," she replied, but she had at least dropped the love act. She gazed at him without any emotions. Something about her reminded him of Natasha when he first met her.

„Sure you are. What does Dreykov want to do with the real Natasha?"

„I am the real Natasha."

„Well, you're just as stubborn. What does Dreykov want? Tell me and I let you live." He didn't feel the need to tell her, that _he _would let her live, but he was planning on handing her to Natasha.

„For a hit man, you hand out lives quite easily."

Suddenly someone kicked down the door.

Clint jumped over the couch to reach his bow, but he didn't have time to nock an arrow. Instead he used the bow as a stick and hit the first attacker in the face. He silently thanked Marty for the special reinforcement in his bow that allowed him to do this.

There were three of them, but he managed to shoot one before they quickly retreated. It was over in less than a minute. Clint looked around, wondering what the hell was that supposed to mean, when he noticed that the kitchen was empty.

Great, so there were two Natashas loose in the city and he had zero chance to find either of them in time. He remembered Coulson telling him to go to Fury and it seemed like the only place where he could be of some use.

Clint turned on the laptop and connected to the SHIELD network. He found Fury's current location, took one loaded gun and two knives and set off to find the director.

He caught up with him at the local military airport. Nothing seemed to be wrong, he didn't see neither the fake nor the real Natasha, Fury was accompanied by Hill and a dozen other agents and Clint almost thought it was all a false alarm.

„Agent Barton?" asked Hill incredulously when she saw him. „What are you doing here?"

„Coulson sent me. Dreykov is here, in the city. We don't know why, but it may have something to do with your visit," Clint said, his eyes inspecting the surroundings.

„But there was..."

The explosion, that didn't let Hill finish, knocked them all off their feet.

XXX

„Faster!" Natasha urged Coulson because she strongly suspected that he was trying to comply with the speed limit.

Coulson said something she didn't catch. He didn't understand how important every second was. Natasha had seen Dreykov's doppelgangers before. They were vicious and trained so well that only very few people could tell they weren't the real thing. And Dreykov loved to use them to kill the original. This time he just decided to get rid of Clint first.

She got off the motorcycle before it stopped properly and ran straight to the hotel. On her way up she cursed Clint's habit of picking up a room on top floor. When she arrived, she found the door unlocked and inside a dead man with arrow wound in his chest, and handcuffs on one of the kitchen chairs. It looked like Clint didn't fall for the doppelganger's act and after a fight he escaped. Natasha couldn't help feeling proud of him.

But where was he?

„I sent him after Fury," Coulson, who had just arrived, told her. „We'll find him there."

„If she hadn't taken him away," Natasha muttered.

„Who is she?"

„My doppelganger."

„Your what?"

„Are you deaf, Coulson? My doppelganger. Dreykov had her surgically altered so she looks like me and she is trained to talk and act like me. She's currently trying to finish off both me and Barton and then infiltrate SHIELD posing as the Black Widow. Any more questions?"

Coulson opened and closed his mouth, looking both amazed and terrified by the image of _two _Black Widows around.

„Now, contact Fury and ask them if Barton showed up," she ordered.

Coulson turned on the communicator.

„Agent Sanchez, I copy," said an unfamiliar voice.

„Sanchez, where are you?" asked Coulson. He obviously knew the man.

„At the local military airport," answered Sanchez.

_Barton_, Natasha mouthed at Coulson. He nodded and opened his mouth to ask about Clint, when they heard an unmistakable sound of explosion and the connection broke off. Coulson looked at her in horror.

„Do you know where the airport is?" she asked.

He nodded, still looking frightened.

Natasha grabbed two spare magazines for her gun, took one of their spare guns, tossed it to Coulson and headed to the door, gesturing him to follow her.

XXX

_This is not enough_, Clint thought as he watched people cleaning up the explosion site. _Dreykov wouldn't come here because of a single bomb. This is just a prologue._

Of course, according to Hill's first guess, at least eight agents died during the explosion and five more were badly injured. Director's personal Quinjet was reduced to a pile of scraps and a couple of Hungarian jets were damaged as well. Fury, Hill, four more agents and Clint himself were the only uninjured SHIELD people. It wasn't good, but it could be so much worse, considering Dreykov's potential.

„Coulson, Romanoff!" Hill exclaimed.

Clint turned to see Natasha and Coulson coming towards them. He had an arrow ready before he even realized what he was doing. She was wearing a SHIELD uniform, not jeans and a tank top, and she had a bleeding slash on her cheek, but he was still suspicious.

„It's all right, Clint," said Natasha, raising her hands to calm him down. „It's me."

„Show me your arm," he ordered. „Show me the scar."

For a second she was confused, but then he saw understanding dawning in her eyes. „So that's how you knew," she muttered as she unzipped the jacket of her uniform and revealed a scar on her upper arm.

Clint lowered his bow. It was the real Natasha and somehow she survived whatever stunt she pulled. Just now, as a huge wave of relief flooded him, he realized how worried he'd been all the time.

„Where have you been?" he barked angrily.

„I paid a visit to Dreykov," she answered. „They have my doppelganger. She looks and acts just like me."

„But she doesn't have that scar on her arm," Clint added.

Natasha looked at him and for a moment he almost blushed, remembering the moment with the doppelganger. Would Natasha kiss as well as the other woman? He wondered if he was ever going to find out. Probably not and it was a pity. Suddenly he remembered the night all those years ago, when she came to his room and offered him to repay her debt in a non-traditional way.

„What happened here?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts. He was grateful she made him think about something else. _Get your head in the game, _he scolded himself.

„Someone blew up the Director's Quinjet," he explained. „What do you mean, paid a visit to Dreykov?"

„I went to his aircraft, we had a chat and I walked out," she shrugged.

„Did you get him?"

She shook her head. Clint looked at her more closely. Just a couple of hours ago he'd never believe that there was something more important for her than killing Dreykov. What stopped her?

He saw her look around and she noticed the row of dead bodies ready to be taken to the morgue. Suddenly her eyes widened and she pointed at one of the corpses.

„Clint..." she whispered.

He followed her gaze and froze as well. He knew that face, he had seen it before, he had seen a hundred of them.

„Start full evacuation, now!" Clint shouted at agents, his hand reaching for an arrow.

Natasha fired three shots at its chest. All the bullets bounced from the bare skin.

The body started to turn into something big and blue.


	16. Chapter 15: Killers

_So, the Smorphs are back. What else happened in Budapest?_

_Thank you very much for all the reviews. I will upload the last chapter soon._

**Chapter 15: Killers**

The others were caught by surprise and for a moment no one moved. Only a very explicit threat from Natasha made them start to run to the buildings nearby.

Whatever Forrester did, he upgraded the Smorph. The normal bullets and arrows didn't work on it. When Clint used the explosive one, it didn't pierce its skin, but it still exploded and tore a big hole in its armor. Natasha sent a bullet in the exposed place and after a moment the blue giant fell to the ground.

„I though we destroyed them all," Natasha said.

„Looks like they built new ones," Clint shrugged. It wasn't important where did the Smorph come from. „I just wonder how many..."

Suddenly there was a deafening roar from one of the Hungarian jets. The metal body of the airplane was ripped apart by the monsters trying to get out of it, like larvae from a cocoon.

„How many?" Natasha repeated. „Looks like about twenty, at least. Inside, you idiots, start the evacuation. Now!"

When something blasted a Smorph through a plane's wing, Clint turned to see Coulson with a very big gun next to them. It had enough power to get rid of a Smorph with one blast, but they had to stop shooting and run before the monsters reached them.

They hid in one of the warehouses. It was a solid building with two stories, the ground one served for storing parachutes and uniforms, the upper one was an archive. The door was strong enough to keep the giants out for the time being. Clint and Natasha looked at each other.

„If we all leave," she said, „they will go to the city."

Clint imagined the Smorphs among innocent, unarmed civilians and understood her point. It would be a slaughter they couldn't let happen. He sighed.

„Fine. Coulson, leave your toy to Natasha and get the director and the rest of the crew out through the back," Clint told their handler.

„No, I'm staying with you. Three are better than two."

They didn't argue with him. He was right, after all.

„Come on," Fury called them. „We're leaving."

„You go," Natasha said. „We'll stay here and make sure our blue buddies don't get outside."

„Agent Barton, agent Romanoff, agent Coulson, I order you to join the evacuation. Now!"

„With all due respect, sir, no," said Clint. _We are monsters, _the doppelganger told him and he tended to agree with her. They earned their living by killing others and he wanted to save someone for a change. Maybe if he saved innocent people, it would wipe out some of his crimes.

„Are you coming or am I supposed to kick your asses to that car outside?" Fury folded his arms.

To Clint's surprise it was Coulson who replied. He held up the big gun. „You can try, sir."

Fury shook his head. „You're a bunch of idiots," he said and walked out to the waiting cars.

Clint turned back just in time to see a huge blue fist punching through the door. Coulson aimed at it but Natasha stopped him.

„Save the bullets. Shoot only to kill," she said.

As a denial of her words someone fired a burst from an automatic. Two people walked in and stood at their side. Hill was holding the automatic and Fury had a big gun just like Coulson's.

„I thought we were a bunch of idiots," Clint called as he prepared an arrow.

„You are and I'm having all of you court-martialed for insubordination," Fury threatened.

Clint laughed, as the Smorphs tore the door out of its hinges. The Big Guns barked as one and two Smorphs in the front line fell down. Clint's explosive arrow and Natasha's bullet brought down another one. Hill was firing her automatic as a diversion. Her bullets didn't hurt the monsters, but they at least distracted them.

After seven dead Smorphs the giants hesitated and then made way for a slender figure in jeans and a purple tank top that walked among them and smiled directly at Clint. Her resemblance to Natasha was unbelievable.

„Hello, my love," the doppelganger said sweetly.

Natasha lunged forward and the two women started a fight to the death.

XXX

Somehow it was too easy to fight someone with her face. The woman Dreykov called Sonya was a personification of everything Natasha hated about him. Cruelty. Manipulation. No freedom. Just obedience or death. The reasons why Natasha ran away all those years ago.

They trained Sonya well. She was almost as good as Natasha herself. A little slower perhaps and she could use a little more strength in her arms, but otherwise she was a worthy opponent. Natasha was vaguely aware of the Smorphs attacking again and tried to lead the fight away from them. They seemed to be programmed not to hurt Sonya, but Natasha was quite sure that this protection didn't involve her.

Sonya was armed only with a knife and she managed to knock a gun out of Natasha's hand. Natasha jumped to retrieve it, but Sonya slashed at her at the same time and she felt the blade cutting her side and slipping on her rib.

Anger got the best of her. She forgot the gun, turned around, ignoring the pain and blood that started to trickle down her side, and knocked Sonya down. They tumbled on the floor, leaving smears of blood in their tracks. Sonya bit her wrist and Natasha pulled her hair to smash her head against the floor, just like Clint did to her when they first met. They were both fighting for the knife and for a moment she thought that Sonya might even win.

But, as she had observed earlier, she was slow.

Natasha wriggled out of her grip and kicked her in the shoulder. Sonya reflexively let go of the knife and Natasha snatched it before the other woman had time to realize what was going on. She knelt on Sonya's shoulders and pressed the knife to her throat.

_You are a killer in your heart and not even a thousand of Fury's mercies can change that._

Dreykov's words were like poison. She hesitated and stared into Sonya's eyes, into her own eyes. She considered her a monster, a human being shaped into a murdering robot, but what was the difference between the two of them? They were just like the Smorphs, weapons pretending to be human.

But Natasha was the Frankenstein monster who turned against its master.

_Deep down in the core you have always, even before you met me, been the Black Widow._

So be it.

She cut Sonya's throat and watched herself die.

XXX

„Oh great!" Hill exclaimed.

Clint turned to find out what was she talking about and saw human soldiers approaching the front entrance.

„Pull back! Upstairs," he ordered and a little too late he realized that this had probably been Fury's call to make. But the director didn't protest, he headed to the stairs with Hill and Coulson. Clint glanced around to get an image of the scene. There was only one Smorph alive, not attacking and probably waiting for further instructions, and Natasha was getting up from what looked like the doppelganger's corpse.

„Nat, upstairs!" he called.

„They're robots, right?" she asked, nodding towards the monster. „Electronic."

„Mostly yes, from what I understood," Clint said.

„Good," she smiled and before he could stop her, she climbed on a tower of crates and jumped right at the Smorph's back.

„No!" he shouted and reached for an arrow, but he was too late.

She tried to taser it with her bracelets. It was stupid of her to try, she had to know that her bracelets don't have enough power to short-circuit something this big. She only annoyed it.

The Smorph reached back and plucked her off its back. Then it threw her among the crates. That's when Clint dared to make his move. He wasted two arrows on killing this one but it was worth it.

The soldiers were closing in and he ran to Natasha. She tried to get up, only to be hit by a bullet. Suppressing a scream, he ran to her, picked her up, ignored her hiss of pain, and carried her upstairs. Fury found a suitable archive room to hide in and Clint gently laid her on the floor.

„I'm fine," she said weakly. „Just a little dizzy..."

„Cut the crap. You have a bullet in your shoulder, probably a couple of broken bones and that slash on your side doesn't look very nice. Hill, do we have a medical kit?" he turned.

„Just a basic one," Hill tossed him a small white bag.

He took off her jacket, but when he touched her shirt, she caught his hand. „Easy there, cowboy, I'm not Sonya."

Was that the doppelgangers name? Did Natasha know what happened in the hotel room?

„I need to take it off, if I'm supposed to treat that mess," he told her. He'll ask her later, because they were going to get out of this and they were going to have all the time in the world.

„Don't worry about it, just stay with me like we stayed with Abe..."

„You are not Abe!" he rose his voice. „You're going to be fine, now let me help you."

She didn't have the strength to fight with him any more. He bandaged the bleeding wounds, but that was about all he could do. He even found some painkillers for her. Just then he realized that there was no pounding at the door and no one had blown them up so far. He looked at Coulson, Fury and Hill with a question in his eyes. They only shrugged.

„SHIELD agents," a voice, amplified by a megaphone, called from the outside. „My name is Konstantin Dreykov and I have an offer for you. You have no escape, but I am in a merciful mood today. If you hand over Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff, I'll let you walk away. If you don't, I'll have your heads on a silver plate. It's as simple as that. I want your answer at dawn. And if you expect any help, I've sent out a word that if I catch a glimpse of anything like a weapon in the two miles radius, I'll blow up the nuclear bomb I have planted somewhere in the middle of Budapest. Just so you know you're on your own."

Clint stared at Fury, Coulson and Hill and they stared at him. Right now he was grateful that Natasha had passed out.

„There's still some juice in my gun," said Fury. „And Coulson has some power too. Maybe we can get through."

„Not with her," said Hill. „She can't walk and we can't carry her."

„We have time. We'll come up with something," Coulson assured them all.

It was the first time in his life when Clint felt deeply moved.

XXX

„The painkillers help, I can keep watch," Natasha insisted. She sat up, leaning against the shelves, and even though she was pale as death itself, she tried to convince everybody she was fine.

„You are going to get some rest. That's an order and considering that you did the most stupid thing you could and brought this on yourself, you don't have a right to protest," Clint told her.

„Or just hand me over, it's me Dreykov wants, he'll let you go," she continued.

„Are you trying to win a _Most Bad Ideas In One Day _contest?" he snapped.

„We still don't have a plan and it's getting dark," she pointed out.

„Maybe we can just sit here until dawn and someone else will figure things out," Coulson suggested.

„According to my experience – not likely," Clint said. „But we have a good position here, we can hold it for some time."

„I have the communication back online!" Hill announced.

As they expected, SHIELD was in an uproar. It took Fury five minutes to calm all channels down before he could speak. He told them that the transmission is probably monitored and he described the situation. He named three reliable people and authorized them to proceed in a way that will be best for the safety of people in Budapest.

„Is that really our best shot?" Clint asked when Fury turned the communicator off. „To trust someone who sits somewhere safe and probably doesn't care if we live or die?"

„I have to trust a lot of people," Fury said. „For example I trust you and Romanoff to do your job and so far you haven't failed me."

„Kill Dreykov," said Natasha. „He doesn't trust anyone. He is the only one who can give the order to set off the bomb. Get rid of him and our people can send an army here."

„If I get a clear shot..." Clint left the sentence unfinished.

After that they decided to try to get some sleep. Clint was supposed to have the first watch and he settled himself at the window. He glanced at Natasha, who slipped in a state somewhere between sleep and unconsciousness. She looked almost fragile in the moonlight.

_I love you_, he told the other woman. At that moment he was almost sure she was an impostor. He was only acting. He didn't mean it, did he? Natasha was his partner, the only person he trusted, his only family, his best friend and yes, he did think she was beautiful. Could it be called love? And was it that kind of love that led to marriage and children? He had to smile at the image of Natasha changing diapers and baking cookies.

No, it wasn't love, he decided eventually. It couldn't have been. It was a strong friendship with a remarkable woman. The woman that might be dead in the morning. But that didn't bother him much, because he was sure that he didn't have much time left too.

„Go," said a soft voice. He looked up to see Hill standing above him. „I can't sleep anyway, I can keep watch."

He didn't refuse her offer. He lay down next to Natasha, careful not to touch her broken body, and swept a strand of hair from her face.

„That's creepy, Barton," she muttered.

„You don't mind," he said, for once confident.

She didn't answer, but in the darkness her hand found his. He squeezed it and didn't let go. She didn't mind that either.

Neither of them slept much that night, but they didn't say another word until dawn.

XXX

When the sun came up, they were all ready. They knew that they had a very slim chance of surviving this mess and even that all relied on the SHIELD coming to help them. Fury was sure that they would, but Clint didn't have his level of trust.

Outside Dreykov called on them to give him Natasha and Clint.

„He's standing out in the open," said Coulson who sat by the window.

„He has a bullet proof vest," said Natasha. „You have to hit him in the head or neck, Clint."

He turned to her. He knew how much she wanted her revenge on that man and how hard she worked to find him. She had always wanted to pull the trigger herself.

„Do you really want meto do it?"

„Right now I wouldn't hit a barn," she said. „Even if I could... Maybe it's better this way."

„Are you sure it's not just the painkillers talking?"

„For Heaven's sake, Barton, are you going to kill him or do I have to ask Coulson?"

He took his bow and one of the arrows and moved to the window. Coulson was right, Dreykov was standing in front of the building. He had a clear shot.

„Hill, the communication," Fury ordered.

Clint opened the window and aimed. The whole world disappeared, there was only his bow and arrow and Dreykov. He heard his own breath and he remembered laughter and soft sound of the waves upon the beach in Brazil. And for a moment, just before he fired, he remembered Abe whistling the Indiana Jones theme song.

„This is for Nat, you bastard," he whispered as the arrow pierced Dreykov's head.


	17. Chapter 16: Mornings

_And the last chapter is here. Thanks for all the reviews and your support. I am working on a sequel, covering the events of the last part of Iron Man 2, Thor and, of course, the Avengers._

_This is my first story written completely in English and my first fanfiction, but I enjoyed it. Clint and Natasha are a pleasure to work with and I had the best readers. :-)_

_This chapter was originally supposed to end with Natasha's last part, but it didn't feel right, so I added Clint at the end._

_Thanks for reading and enjoy._

**Chapter 16: Mornings**

Natasha was keeping herself conscious by sheer willpower. There was a small spot on the tip of her left little finger, that didn't hurt, but everything else did. She was dizzy from the blood loss and she suspected a concussion from when the last Smorph threw her to the crates.

The heavy footsteps outside were getting closer.

She had been thinking for the better part of the night, at least that part when she was conscious, and decided that this was not a bad way to die. They managed to keep the fight away from the civilians and now Dreykov was dead too. Clint avenged them all – Abe and Janet and her own childhood. Her only regret was that it was Sonya, not her, who kissed him in the hotel room. She wanted to know what was it like to kiss a man who is neither a one-night stand nor a target. Just once...

The enemies kicked down the door.

Everybody except Natasha suddenly became very busy. They gave her a small handgun to defend herself but they knew that it was next to pointless. All she wanted was to pass out quietly. She heard more gunfire from outside and it looked like they had some backup now. So that was what Fury meant, when he shouted in the communicator just after Clint's shot.

She saw Clint being thrown back by a bullet that hit his chest. His vest would stop the bullet from going too deep, but he staggered backwards and the soldier that hit him raised his gun again. Natasha picked up hers and found out that she could hit something after all, namely the soldier's neck. She had been aiming for the head, but neck worked just as well.

Clint turned to her, smiled and mouthed _Thank you_. She returned the smile. _You're welcome._

Then, like it was the only thing she had been waiting for, she finally passed out.

XXX

Natasha always hated mornings and getting up in general, but there was nothing worse than waking up after a narcosis with a bullet hole in her body and something that felt like a couple of broken ribs. She groaned and opened her eyes, but squeezed them shut when the light blinded her.

„Bozhe moi," she muttered.

„Good morning to you too," said someone near.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked around to see who it was. There was another bed in the room, occupied by Hill, who was grinning at her. She looked fine, with the exception of her right leg, which was bandaged up to the knee and propped on a tower of pillows.

„What's good about it?"

„You are alive. You have been unconscious for twenty-four hours. Barton has been worried sick," she told her.

„Where is he?" asked Natasha and tried to sit up. Not a good idea, as she learned the hard way. She moaned and fell back on the pillow.

„He is fine, the bullet didn't go too deep. The doctors are trying to keep him in the bed at least until tomorrow, but he's giving them a hard time from what I've heard."

„And the others? Coulson, Fury?"

Hill's face darkened. „Coulson is fine, more or less. Some scratches, of course, but he's walking and talking. And Fury..." she hesitated. „He was standing next to one of the wooden crates when they shot at him. They missed him, hit the crate, and the splinters hit his face. It looks like he's going to lose an eye."

„But he will live?" Natasha made sure.

„Yes, he will live." Hill looked a little calmer as she said it aloud. „Hello again, agent Barton."

Natasha turned her head to the door and saw Coulson pushing a wheelchair. Clint, who looked utterly humiliated, brightened when he saw her.

„Does she still think that she can keep watch?" Clint asked Hill.

„What, you want to take off my clothes again?"

Coulson wanted to push him all the way to Natasha's bed, but Clint stopped him. „I _can _walk, you know. It's not my fault that the doctors said they won't let me go if I don't act like a cripple." He moved to sit on the edge of her bed. She caught his hand and barely noticed that Coulson went to sit with Hill and was telling her about Fury's health.

„You are an idiot," he told her. „Why did you attack the Smorph with your bare hands?"

„They weren't exactly bare, you know."

„You had to know you didn't have the power to bring it down," he scolded her. „Why?"

„I'll tell you one day," she promised. She was too tired to talk about it. „So the SHIELD came for us?"

„And pulled us out," he nodded. „Just in time too. Have you heard about what happened to Fury?"

She nodded, but she felt sleepy again. Her eyes started to close against her will.

„Get some rest," he told her. „We'll have plenty of time to talk."

She closed her eyes and felt that he swept a strand of hair from her face.

„Still creepy," she mumbled.

„And you still don't mind."

XXX

It was her first day back at the SHIELD base. Officially she was still sick, but she had no place on her own, so she stayed in her room at the Palo Alto base. Clint acted like mother hen all the way from the hospital and he became so annoying that even Coulson snapped in the end. But it was nice to have someone who genuinely cared for her.

Fury, who started to wear an eye patch which earned him a nickname Admiral Nelson, told them that someone else can clean up the mess for a change and ordered them to take a break. They didn't object.

They sat in her room and she knew that Clint was about to ask her something important.

„You promised you'll tell me why did you try to knock out the Smorph," he reminded her.

The desperation from her talk with Dreykov and her fight with Sonya came back. But Clint was going to understand her, she was sure. And he was right, she had promised.

„Because I am just like them – the Smorphs, Irina, Sonya. We are all the same, just weapons. Dreykov told me that I survived the training because I had a natural talent. I was born a killer, Clint, and I can't change that."

She didn't dare to look at him. Maybe she was afraid of what she'd see.

„You were just trying to survive. And later... well, it's the only thing we are good at. What else were you supposed to do if you wanted to eat?"

„We have a lot of skills. We could have used them to live like normal people and we never have. There must be something wrong with us."

„There is. But in Budapest we saved people. We kept the Smorphs where they couldn't hurt any civilians. We stopped Dreykov. No one told us to do that. We decided to do the good thing. I say that as long as we're able to save someone from time to time, we are not all bad, " he smiled.

„It doesn't work like that," she said.

„So let me get this straight. You think that if you do something good, it won't outweigh the bad, but you think that your death will? What kind of logic is that?"

She had to laugh. It was a half-hearted laugh, but it was better than misery. Maybe that was what life was about – not sulking because she didn't have the best but being happy that she was better.

„Fine, no more suicide missions," she promised.

„Of course not. Who would cover my back if not you?"

There was a moment of silence and she realized that she couldn't imagine her life without him. He was the only person in the world that actually meant something to her.

„Maybe you would get Hill for a partner," she joked.

Clint made a face. „She takes orders too seriously. Besides, she has Fury. You didn't see the fuss she made when she found out what happened to him."

_Like the fuss you made about me? Does that mean that you have me?_

But of course it did. And she had him. It was actually very simple.

„So, what now?" she asked. „There is no Dreykov to hunt..."

„Come on, Nat," Clint smiled. „The world is full of scumbags. Don't worry, we'll be busy enough."

_Of course we will, _she thought. _Protecting the innocent together and protecting each other. Because that's how it works._

XXX

He woke up on her couch and it took him a couple of seconds to remember the day before. Natasha had been released from the hospital and he took her to the base. They talked about monsters and future and after that they watched a movie. He had to fall asleep at that point because he had no idea how the movie ended.

He saw Natasha stir in her bed, quietly got up and moved to the kitchenette. There were some cereals and milk, thanks to Coulson who had been in charge of getting the room ready for her, and Clint made coffee. By the time it was ready, Natasha scrambled out of the bed and joined him at the table.

They ate their breakfast in silence until Natasha's pager beeped. She checked her messages and sighed. „Coulson wants me to go over records of the some interrogations. So much for the break."

„I can help you," he offered.

"I don't think you can do what Coulson wants me to," she said.

"I can make something up."

"Thanks for the offer but I can do it. I can hardly go to the gym, so I'm going to have plenty of free time." She looked at her cereals. "But I'm not doing anything until I have finished my breakfast."

He smiled and got up to make another coffee. She silently passed him her cup and he thought that mornings like this weren't bad at all.

THE END (until the sequel)


End file.
